


Star Wars: The Beast Awakens

by Hitaka5Ever



Series: Star Wars: The Beast Awakens [1]
Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Death, Gore, M/M, Mating, NSFW, OC Dr. Ekels, Porn, Werewolf AU, Werewolves, hitaka, huxtaka, mihux, mithux
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-06-05 22:55:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 97,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6726715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hitaka5Ever/pseuds/Hitaka5Ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>--Werewolf AU-- Lieutenant Mitaka and General Hux are thrown into a magical world of chaos when Mitaka tells Hux a terrible secret that he has been keeping since before their Academy days. Mitaka is a werewolf, and Hux is thrown right in the middle of his world</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ship: Hitaka (Hux/Mitaka)
> 
> *points to title* Am I clever or what! :D

The bite was searing hot and very painful on his shoulder. The fangs sank deep, breaking through the tendon and bones. There was a blood curdling scream of agony as something huge hit the floor and a deep, menacing growl came after. Soon, all was dead silent except for heavy breathing from two different sources. Seconds later, there was a bubbly squelching sound, followed by something thick and wet splattering the floor. Another dangerous growl echoed along the corridor walls, then nothing.

Nothing happened for a long time. No one came running to find out what had happened or where the screams had come from. Strange how no one was around after the painful howls.

Another growl, this one much quieter, appeared before the eerie sound of something heavy being dragged across the floor could be heard. Then a swishing sound happened, more dragging, and then a second swish, before there was nothing but bone chilling silence.

* * *

When General Hux awoke to loud swearing and the sounds of one hitting themselves in the head repeatedly, he thought he might still be dreaming. Only when he felt a harsh pain spread down the length of his left arm and part of his chest and back did he realize he was very much awake. He opened his eyes but his vision was blurry. He barely made out someone nude standing before him before he closed his eyes to growl in pain.

“Erng, why…do I hurt like this…?”

“G-General, General, please don’t be mad! It was an a-accident, I don’t know how I-!” Hux placed a hand to his throbbing head, recognizing the voice of his Lieutenant, Dopheld Mitaka. What was he babbling about so early in the morning? “Sir _please_ say something! I am so sorry! How did this happen?! What did I do, I-!”

“A-At ease, Lieutenant,” Hux managed to say while looking up, blinking his eyes open. For a few seconds he wasn’t surprised to see Mitaka standing naked in front of a superior officer, but when he saw the blood covering his lips, chin, and part of his chest and hands, what little concern he could feel started to set in. “Lieutenant Mitaka, have you been injured?”

Mitaka shook his head hard, looking ashamed. “N-No sir, I am fine, b-but you… General Hux I’m so sorry! I don’t know how this h-happened! I… P-Please tell me you’re alright!”

Hux was surprised to hear Mitaka whimper once he was done. It sounded very…dog-like, for lack of a better word. Wanting to give him a straight answer, Hux looked to where he felt the most pain, grimacing once he saw the damage to his shoulder. He lifted his other hand to gingerly touch what he thought was a large bite, flinching in immense pain that traveled the full length of his arm. This definitely wasn’t good…

What had happened last night? What could cause such a wound when only humans, besides Snoke, were living within the walls of Starkiller Base? Hux remembered taking a nightly stroll because of his insomnia, vaguely remembered the sound of loud clanking and pounding of massive feet on the floor behind him, and then…nothing! Why couldn’t he remember anything beyond that?

“General!” came a whine.

Coming out of his deep thoughts, Hux had almost completely forgotten about Mitaka standing and waiting for an answer with dried blood all over him. He looked up, noting how fearful the Lieutenant was.

“I am far from dying, but I do require medical attention. I do not think I lost too much blood due to the fact I do not feel faint, but the pain is terrible.”

There was that odd whimper again from Mitaka. “Sir, please forgive me! I am the reason you are in this mess! If you had just stayed in your quarters-!”

“Lieutenant, stop groveling,” Hux demanded. Mitaka closed his mouth tightly to shut up. “Now, since neither of us can walk out of here and go to the hospital wing unnoticed, I need you to take my datapad out of my pocket and contact a medical team to come to this location.” At this, Hux looked around their surroundings to figure out exactly where here was. It appeared to be a large storage room for old, junk equipment of the base; probably important equipment that Kylo Ren so gracefully deconstructed on his own. Well, at least Hux still had his sarcastic side. “It is right near the front, so it will be easy to locate.”

Nodding reluctantly, Mitaka stepped forward while clenching and unclenching his hands in nervousness. With his right hand, Hux pulled the coat aside, showing an inner pocket with a small bulge in it. Mitaka crouched by his side and reached in, but he froze when he inhaled. Hux saw him turn pale in the face and beads of sweat formed on his brow.

“What is it now, Lieutenant?” Swallowing hard, Mitaka tried to ignore the scent that he just caught off of Hux by reaching into the indicated pocket and feeling the warm metal of the datapad. He took it out and then quickly stepped back and away, unable to look at Hux anymore. Mitaka turned it on, but it required a password. “Lieutenant, I told you to take it out, not take it away from me.”

Flinching, Mitaka turned back around and thrust the datapad at him, not looking at him. “I am sorry, sir…”

Hux eyed him suspiciously before yanking the pad out of his trembling fingers. “If you have something on your conscious, Lieutenant, now would be the best time to let it out in the open.”

Looking down at his screen, Hux tapped in his password on the mini, digital keyboard. The main screen appeared after he swiped the screen with his finger. Mitaka was looking everywhere but at Hux, his hands still trembling and fidgeting. He looked about ready to crack under pressure, the poor guy. He suddenly flinched when he felt something hard touch his arm. Looking down, he saw the datapad in his line of vision. Swallowing, he took it back, seeing a call log already open for him. He then moved far away from Hux, which wasn’t too far due to the small room filled with heavy, broken machinery, and tapped in a code that would contact a doctor. He was about to touch GO in order to send the signal, but stopped when he felt a deep pit form in his stomach.

“General, sir…there is something you need to know…”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger over; enjoy!

Hux eyed Mitaka suspiciously. He had something to tell him? Is this why he was acting so out of the ordinary?

“You have to tell me what, Lieutenant?” Hux asked a while later when Mitaka didn’t say anything, even though he initiated the conversation in the first place.

Mitaka swallowed hard. “Sir, I have a terrible secret that no one but my doctor and Supreme Ruler Snoke knows about. Before I speak the truth, I just want to say that I wanted to tell everyone in order to keep them forewarned, but Snoke said it would be unwise to do so. But I think he failed to foresee this one, sir. I hope you can forgive me, especially after, well…”

Hux scowled weakly at him, wanting Mitaka to just explain himself plainly. “Lieutenant, we do not have time for your blubbering. You have to tell me-”

“I am a werewolf, sir.” An unsettling silence came from this confession. Hux’s eyes had widened. Mitaka looked like he would burst any second. “A-And l-last night I…well I-I bit you, sir. Well I mean, I think I did, ‘cause when I woke up, you and I were in here and we were both bloody and of course I’m covered in it. I also believe it to be true is because…well I caught your scent and it…i-its different from before. Your scent has changed sir. It’s not…e-exactly you anymore…”

Mitaka looked at the floor, looking ashamed. He couldn’t think of anything else to say. Hux was still staring dumbstruck at him, feeling like this was perhaps just a cruel joke that the First Order decided to play on him. But the more he saw how upset Mitaka was, he knew it was not a prank at all. This was very much real, and it was a terrible reality. What would happen to both of them now?

“…Lieutenant.”

Mitaka looked up, looking like a beaten puppy. “Yes, sir?”

Hux adjusted his sitting since his butt had gone uncomfortably numb. He winced in pain, having to drag his left arm since it was too weak to lift. Once he was comfortable, or as comfortable as he could be with his puncture wounds, he said, “Contact your doctor. We will discuss this matter more while we wait for his arrival.”

Mitaka swallowed, then nodded in understanding. “Yes sir.”

Turning to the right, Mitaka turned the screen back on, sent a signal to his doctor’s communications’ device, and then began to tap away on the keyboard. Hux’s brow furrowed as he frowned.

“Sending him a message would take far too long, Lieutenant. Just face-time him.”

“I do not wish for him to see me covered in blood, sir,” Mitaka said without looking, typing away still. “I have never bitten anyone until last night; I do not wish to make him fuss over that until he’s here.” After a couple of minutes of explaining the situation to his assigned doctor, Mitaka finished his message and hit the send key. “There.” Turning around, he sat down on the floor far from Hux’s feet, setting the datapad on the floor beside him. He then wrapped his bloody arms around himself, squeezing himself tightly. “I am sorry I bit you, sir…”

Hux snorted softly. “Perhaps I will be safe from becoming a werewolf.”

Mitaka shook his head, not looking up at the General. “I already told you: your scent is different now, sir.”

“You know my scent?” Hux asked, almost sickened by such a notion.

Mitaka scratched his arm. “Not by choice, sir. You see, my nose is more enhanced than normal noses, so I know every scent aboard the base and the ship.” A small smile appeared on his face. “You used to smell like freshly fallen rain, sir.” That smile quickly vanished when he remembered that this was not a happy conversation. “But now it smells like acid rain…”

Hux actually didn’t like the sound of that at all. “I see…” There was a long bout of silence. Mitaka had received a message back, and he was reading it carefully. Feeling pretty awful physically, Hux carefully grabbed his bite marks, glad to feel that the blood was caked on and preventing further bleeding. “…I would like to ask you a personal question, Lieutenant Mitaka.”

Looking up, Mitaka said, “You can ask me anything, sir.”

Hux gave a small nod of his head. “How long have you been one of the Werebeast clans?”

Mitaka scratched at his temple, much like a dog with fleas would do. “I was bitten when I was seven years old, sir. I’m twenty-six now.”

“And how were you bit?”

Mitaka looked away. “I come from a poor planet, sir. My home was in the backwater location of the planet, with a bunch of trees and a river and some ponds and streams. I would go into the woods near our house to gather firewood and other supplies since we couldn’t buy the nicer things very often. It was the afternoon, I was gathering edible mushrooms for my mother, when I heard something rush up behind me and, before I could look to see what it was, the piercing of fangs entered my back and neck. I must have passed out after feeling the bite because it was dark by the time I came around. I had no idea what really happened, just that I was wounded and people had started a search party to find me. They found me not long after I woke up and one of the older men in the surrounding area recognized the bite. For some reason, we had a shaman en planet and he told me the truth about what I had become. I…had to leave my family for their safety.” Mitaka went silent after this for a bit. After a sigh, he continued. “So the shaman helped me handle becoming a werewolf once a month, since I was so young. Once I was strong enough, the shaman shipped me off to the Academy and I was given special privileges during my transformation nights. I was forced to skip my classes the next day and had to make up for them later. Those nights I was locked up in an empty, steel room for everyone’s safety and so that I didn’t run rampant through the halls.

“Once I graduated and could join the First Order, I had a private meeting with Supreme Ruler Snoke and was assigned my very own doctor. Snoke was reluctant to let me stay at all, but he knew I would be a great asset for the Order, so special rules were put into place in order for me to stay. This is why on my transformation nights there is a special curfew so that I do not attack anyone. I can run free through the corridors to let my energy out and no one would be none the wiser.” Mitaka’s brow furrowed slightly in the middle, looking upset. “I just…didn’t expect to find you, last night…” Feeling so exhausted from being changed last night and from these unfortunate events hitting them all at once so suddenly, Mitaka buried his face in his arms that he had placed on raised knees. “I-I’m so sorry, sir! I never wanted this to happen! This is all my fault! I should have just…died by that stupid werewolf! I should be dead, not here with you, not like this! I ruined your life, sir! I ruined everything! I-I can’t…I-I just…!”

Mitaka continued to ramble on and on while bawling his eyes out. Hux gave him an aggravated look. “Stop crying, Lieutenant. You are in a position of power, you do not need to be groveling like a five year old. And you don’t need to be sorry about anything.”

Mitaka sobbed and cried for a bit longer before he gulped in air to avoid hyperventilating and was sniffing in really hard every few seconds. “I-I’m sorry, s-sir, i-its been a long n-night. I-I am always like this afterward…” Lifting his head, Mitaka smeared his arm across his nose, forgetting that he was covered in blood. “Being a werewolf is so ex _hausting_!” He sniffed in hard again and then cleared his throat. After a hard swallow, he placed his hands on the floor beside him, looking up at Hux. “I don’t know what we’re going to do about this, sir. No one was supposed to know, but now you know and you’re going to do the same things as I do and you’re going to turn into a werewolf the same night as me and-”

“Relax, Lieutenant,” Hux interrupted. “Don’t overexert yourself. I do not need you passing out on me.”

Nodding, Mitaka took a deep breath, held it for several seconds, and then let it out. He did this a few times to calm himself, as well as counted from one to as high as he needed to go. By the time he reached eighty-two, he was slightly relaxed, but seeing Hux covered in his own blood did little to calm him down more. With his clean shoulders, he rubbed his eyes on them to dry his tears. Then the room was silent again. Hux’s datapad beeped seconds later. Sniffing in hard, Mitaka swiped his finger on the screen and saw another message from his doctor.

“Dr. Ekels is a few halls away, sir.” He looked to the door, expecting it to open any second now. “He is bringing an unofficial medical droid with him. A small one since your injury isn’t too bad.”

Hux gave a few slow nods of his head. “I have another question for you, Lieutenant.”

Mitaka looked back at him. “Yes, sir?”

“To lift this curse you set upon me, how would someone do that?”

Mitaka’s eyes widened at the question. He swallowed hard before answering. “Either we kill the werewolf that turned me, or you kill me, sir. If you must take my life to return to normal, then I understand…”

An unsettling pause filled the room. Hux was afraid of that. His eyes narrowed. “I will not allow that to happen, Lieutenant. You are far too valuable to the First Order to die now. We will keep this a secret between us, as Supreme Ruler Snoke mandates, and handle transformation nights when the time comes. Is that clear?”

Mitaka nodded while looking at the floor. “Yes sir.”

Not long later, there was a beeping sound behind the door. Although he was further from the door, Hux had heard it faintly. It was certainly strange to suddenly have better hearing. The door slid open and a human in a white lab coat and a droid entered. Mitaka looked up over his shoulder, seeing his assigned doctor examining the scene. When he saw Mitaka covered in blood, he gritted his teeth.

“When you did not face-time me, Dopheld, I had no idea the situation was this dire.”

Mitaka looked away, looking ashamed. “I’m sorry.”

Dr. Ekels looked up, seeing Hux leaned against the opposite wall. “My sincerest apologies for this, General. The droid will fix you up. Then once its finished its duties, it will be deactivated so that no one knows about this.” After the doctor ordered the robot to tend to Hux’s injuries, he pulled Mitaka to his feet and moved them away so they could talk privately. “Snoke will be very disappointed in you, Mitaka.” Reaching into his shoulder bag, Ekels pulled out a hover cleanser and turned it on. “And you attacked the General! I cannot believe this. I told Snoke that it was too risky to let you aid the First Order with your condition, but does anyone listen to me? No! Kriff, I knew you should have been sedated once a month…!”

While the device scanned over Mitaka to absorb away the caked on blood, his doctor continued to berate him on what happened last night, as if the young man had had a choice in the matter to not attack anyone. But Mitaka took it, knowing it was useless to argue or say anything back. “Does anyone listen to me” was calling the tea kettle black.

Over at the wall, Hux was staring at Mitaka’s upset face as the droid carefully cleared away the blood to get a better look at the damage to his bitten shoulder. It wasn’t a pleasant experience, but that was nothing compared to what Mitaka was going through. For some reason, Hux felt the urge to go up behind the doctor, grab his head with his hands, and snap his neck. A shudder passed through him at the drastic thought. What did this unnecessary violence mean?

The entire job for both patients took at least ten minutes. Dr. Ekels had grabbed clean clothes for the both of them and was separating them out. Hux slowly rose to his feet, knowing he shouldn’t move around too much because of his injury. At least the bacta wrap numbed his pain. The doctor deactivated the medical droid and broke its chip, tossing it in with a bunch of other junk. Hux eyed him for his behavior before working on getting his clothes on. Mitaka was already getting his work jacket on while slipping one foot into one of his boots.

“General, I advise we see Supreme Ruler Snoke to tell him what conspired here last night,” the doctor said in a demanding tone. He glared at Mitaka, who wasn’t looking in his direction, but he knew he was getting the stink eye. “Dopheld-”

Hux snapped his belt into place around his waist. “He is Lieutenant Mitaka to you, Dr. Ekels.” He shot the man a glare. “I suggest you start minding your _place_.”

Mitaka froze up from tying his boot to glance at Hux out of the corner of his eye. Dr. Ekels seemed taken aback by this, but he cleared his throat and was stone-faced once more.

“My apologies, General. As I was saying, Lieutenant Mitaka must be punished for his attack of a superior officer, so we must report to-”

Hux turned on his heel, glaring hard at Ekels. “If you blame Lieutenant Mitaka for last night one more time, doctor, I will _end_ _you_.”

Mitaka’s eyes widened at the murderous tone Hux used against his physician, completely dumbstruck at being defended by the man. Was Hux…protecting him? Even after learning that he would be a werewolf now too, he was still sticking up for him? Mitaka was speechless. Apparently so was Dr. Ekels. Beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. After a few more seconds of hostile silence, he lowered his head in apology.

“Please forgive me, General. I am just deeply disappointed in myself that I had not made my worries more clear to Supreme Ruler Snoke about D-Lieutenant Mitaka’s condition. I am sure he will not be happy about this either-”

“From where I am standing, you are more afraid of the Supreme Ruler punishing _you_ than caring about Lieutenant Mitaka’s feelings on the matter,” Hux snapped. “Coward.”

Dr. Ekels’ head snapped up at the insult. “General, I assure you, that is not my-”

Mitaka swiftly moved from his spot to get in Hux’s way as the man tried to have a go at Dr. Ekels. Placing one hand on his good shoulder and the other on his left forearm, the Lieutenant kept him back fairly easily.

“General, sir, please, don’t do something you’ll regret! He’s the only doctor I have-!”

Ignoring him, Hux jabbed his finger in Dr. Ekels’ direction. “One more remark like that and I will write you up!” Dr. Ekels began to open his mouth out of reflex, but Hux managed another, this time threatening, step towards him. “I am _warning you_ -!”

Out of nowhere came a sudden, high-pitched yelp within the room. Mitaka had smashed the ball of his hand just below Hux’s wound to stun him. The General took a step back, growling in pain. Mitaka looked freaked out because of what was happening.

“General, stop it! Please!”

The tension in the room was more than they all could bare. Hux was breathing somewhat heavily because of the pain and the anger that he rarely ever showed. Mitaka was certain now that he was infected with the werewolf gene. He didn’t want to fight Hux or act superior to him, because in terms of rank, Hux was at the top of the food chain. However, since Mitaka was the one to turn him, he would put the man in his place despite his loyalty if he had to.

Once mostly composed, Hux turned to Mitaka with a glare on his face, forgetting himself for just a second longer, but then his face softened. He released a heavy breath as he closed his eyes. Mitaka relaxed when he knew it was all over. So long as Dr. Ekels didn’t incur his wrath again, they could go on about their day finally.

“Excuse my uncharacteristic behavior, Lieutenant.” Hux stood up straight and looked authoritative at him. “It has been a rough morning.”

Mitaka swallowed before nodding. “Yes sir. But everything’s alright now.”

Closing his eyes briefly to calm himself the rest of the way, Hux looked at Dr. Ekels. “You are dismissed, doctor. I will escort Lieutenant Mitaka and myself to Snoke’s chamber without you, since you are clearly _biased_ in this situation. We will pretend this encounter never happened. Is that understood?”

Dr. Ekels bowed his head. “Yes, General. I do apologize.”

“Good. You’re dismissed.” Turning on his heel without another word, Dr. Ekels left the room, briskly walking away. Near the end of the hall someone was watching unnoticed. Back inside the room, Mitaka made sure his uniform was pristine and in its rightful place before standing at attention before Hux. “At ease, Mitaka.”

Mitaka relaxed slightly. “Thank you for sticking up for me, sir.”

Hux rubbed at his temples. “You know, Mitaka, you don’t have to take his bullshit like that.” Mitaka blushed, never hearing Hux swear before. The man lowered his hands. “You are a superior officer, same as me, so you can put him in his place.”

Mitaka smiled weakly. “I know that, sir, but I like to avoid conflict the best I can. Fighting can…lead to nasty nose breaks, if you catch my meaning.”

Hux gave a short nod. “I do.” There was a pause. “I must say, I am very impressed that you have been able to keep your full potential at bay. Even I thought you were not cut out for this job in the beginning.”

“I have had practice, sir,” Mitaka stated with a wry smile.

“I can tell. Now, we must report to Supreme Ruler Snoke. We have wasted far too much time already.”

“Yes sir.”

Standing at attention, Hux moved past Mitaka to reach the door. The Lieutenant moved the dead droid aside before following him out into the corridor. They headed left in the direction of Snoke’s dark chamber, acting as if everything was normal. But how long was it going to last?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't Dr. Ekels just a peach? It would be a shame if he...died a very gruesome death *waggles eyebrows*


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost immediately Hux's senses are already getting stronger, and Mitaka explains why with the help of one of the things Starkiller is famous for :)

One of the first things Hux noticed as Mitaka and him walked in the direction of Snoke’s chamber was seeing just the faintest increase of brightened lights. At first he thought it was just this particular area, but the next corridor was the same way. It was as if someone turned up the high definition of a computer monitor to near maximum. He also noticed that he could better hear troopers and other officers from far away, not quite realizing how much they gossiped until now. And the different, sometimes putrid and dank, smells nearly hit him like a ton of bricks. It actually tickled the inside of his nose.

“Lieutenant, how long will it take before my senses are fully enhanced?” Hux asked Mitaka out of the corner of his mouth.

Taking out Hux’s datapad that he had placed in his pocket, Mitaka pretended to be interested in something to speak without suspicion. “At your age, sir, a little longer than what I experienced. My senses were at their peak within a week.”

Hux glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “And how did you handle it?”

“Not well, sir. It took me a few years to get used to them at my age back then.”

Hux looked back ahead, looking exasperated. “Wonderful.”

“Just try not to breathe with your nose too much, sir.”

That was easier said than done. The only way Hux _could_ breathe was through his nose. This was just getting better and better!

It took a few minutes to be a few yards from Snoke’s chamber door. Hux didn’t know what to expect from Snoke once he found out what had happened. He was sure to blow up. When they were almost to the door, Mitaka picked up his pace and moved in front.

“Sir, I think I should go in first.”

They stopped just before the door could open and they faced each other. Hux held his hand out to Mitaka. “No, we will go inside together. My datapad, if you will be so kind.”

Nodding, Mitaka handed the metal rectangle to him. Hux placed it in his pocket before they both faced the door, standing side-by-side. Still acting like everything was normal, they both walked to the door, watching it spin open. Almost immediately, the lights on the walkway turned on dimly, but to the two werewolves, they were far brighter. Mitaka immediately lowered the front of his cap a bit to keep his eyes from straining too much. The two commanding officers walked briskly inside, hearing the door close behind them. At the end of the walkway sat Snoke. His eyes were closed and he had his left fingers pressed into his temple as he leaned his head against them. Mitaka and Hux soon stopped a few feet away, looking up. As soon as the General breathed in, his eyes began to water at catching Snoke’s scent. It was gag-worthy and very dark and he felt like he would choke and cough inappropriately any second. Out of the corner of his eye, Mitaka saw his discomfort.

“You can stand back a few steps if you need to, sir.”

Closing his eyes tightly, Hux pinched his nostrils closed momentarily. As he tried to recompose himself, Snoke’s eyes opened and he glanced at the two out of boredom.

“General, Lieutenant, what is it that you need?”

Mitaka rubbed the bottom of his nose with the side of his finger as he stared at the floor, hearing Hux beside him, coughing pitifully deep within his throat rather than out loud. “Erm, Supreme Ruler, something happened last night…”

Hearing the slight quiver in his voice, Snoke sat up while placing his arms on the arm rests of his stone chair. “What is it, Lieutenant?” He glanced at Hux, who was coming around now. When he noticed the strained stance, a deep groan formed in Snoke’s throat at recognizing it. “I was concerned this would happen one day.”

Mitaka glanced up worriedly. “Supreme Ruler, I’m sorry, it was my fault. I-”

Mitaka stopped and perked up when he felt Hux place a heavy hand on his shoulder. The General cleared his throat, tried not to breathe through his nose, and then stood at attention. “Supreme Ruler, late last night, I left my quarters to take a walk to help end my insomnia for the night. I was unaware of the attack until it was too late. I did not find out until just half an hour ago that Mitaka was a werewolf. If you must blame someone, blame me for not following the curfew, as I should have.”

Snoke stared at them in deep thought at this explanation for a while. He soon exhaled. “So, you are becoming a werewolf as well, General?”

“I am afraid so, sir.”

Sighing, Snoke leaned back in his chair. “This plan has not gone accordingly… Blast it all.”

Mitaka instinctively grabbed the front of his cap and lowered it to hide his face. “Please forgive me, Supreme Ruler. I didn’t-”

Snoke hushed him. “I do not need your excuses, Lieutenant. What is done, is done. It was an unforeseeable circumstance, one that falls entirely upon my shoulders. Far better precautions should have been set for your condition. We will learn from our mistakes this time around. Lieutenant, you will teach the General all he needs to know on being a werewolf. I expect weekly reports of his progress.”

Mitaka fixed his cap to look at Snoke. “Yes sir.”

Snoke then looked at Hux, who looked like he needed fresh air as he looked slightly green in the face. “General, exercise caution for the next few weeks. I already see and sense that your senses are increasing in ferocity as we speak. Unfortunately for you, it will only get worse from here.” There was a pause as Snoke regarded both of them momentarily. “You may go.”

“Thank you, Supreme Ruler,” Mitaka said so that Hux didn’t have to. He was doing all he can to not throw up whatever may be left in his stomach. If the man wasn’t so prideful, the Lieutenant would comfort him in some way. “General, perhaps some ice cold fresh air will do you some good?”

Catching the hint, Hux turned around slowly and started back for the door. Mitaka caught Snoke’s eye briefly, gave a nod, and then followed him out of the chamber. Snoke watched them leave, his face blank, and waited for the door to close once more before releasing a heavy breath. He then rubbed at his forehead with his long, slender fingers, having a very bad feeling about all of this.

Meanwhile, moving as quickly as they could, Hux and Mitaka were making their way for the front entrance of Starkiller. Mitaka stayed behind him like he normally would, just to prevent rousing suspicion from the others as they sailed past. As they were reaching the entryway, Captain Phasma was coming out of a different corridor on their left, her helmet wedged under her arm. She stepped in their pathway, clicking her boot heels. Hux and Mitaka had to stop in their tracks.

“General, you are needed in your office right away.”

Mitaka stepped around Hux to stand next to him. “With all due respect, Captain, General Hux does not have the time right now.”

Phasma ignored him. “Sir, these men will not wait another minute for your arrival.”

Hux gritted his teeth lightly behind a forced, thin mouth. “If it is very important, they can wait.”

“Sir, they-”

“Not _now_ , Captain.”

Phasma blinked narrowed eyes at Hux before he walked around her to keep going. Mitaka pursed his lips at her, forced a smile, and then continued to follow Hux. Turning, Phasma watched them go, confused at the man’s behavior. It was unlike Hux to ignore an urgent meeting like this. Sighing, she headed back the way she came, needing to inform the men that were waiting that Hux would still be a while.

Finally outside in the freezing cold, Hux breathed the icy air deeply, noticing right away how much sharper the cold was now. Mitaka walked around him, his boots crunching in the snow. Turning to face Hux and crouching down, he gathered up some snow and molded it into a disheveled ball. He then stood back up, showing it to Hux.

“Think of your senses as snow,” he began. Hux eyed him as if he was crazy, not sure how this was. “How is snow made? Well, H2O is gathered in the clouds over time. This then creates precipitation when it’s ready to fall.”

“I know how the weather works, Lieutenant,” Hux huffed.

Acting as if he wasn't interrupted, Mitaka continued. “At just the right temperature deep in the clouds, rain will begin to fall and turn to snowflakes as they enter the atmosphere. It gradually falls and gathers on the ground. With enough flakes, you get what Starkiller Base is famous for!”

Hux lifted his eyes to the top of his shaking head from disbelief. “What does it matter, Lieutenant?”

Mitaka’s brow furrowed at him. “You’re ruining your very first lessen already, sir.” Hux looked back at him. The snowball was beginning to melt from the warmth of Mitaka’s hand. “Okay, so you have all of this snow packed together in one place. However, over time and as the seasons change, the snow starts to melt and the weight begins to decrease at a gradual rate. Eventually, the snow is gone, usually to be replaced by water and sometimes ice, but that’s far better than having snow packing us all in like sardines—”

“Get to your point, Lieutenant.”

Huffing at Hux’s impatience, Mitaka dropped the partly melted snow ball at his feet. “My point is, General, your senses are going to be like snow. They start out as water becoming precipitation, meaning they will gradually began to build in intensity within you. Then, just like when the water falls and becomes snow, your senses will become heavier and more unbearable until it is so packed in that you will feel crushed by its weight and you will suffer all sorts of adverse effects from it. Snow does the same thing. It kills the ground, people get sick from it sometimes, and its just a pain to deal with. And I mean that quite literally, sir.”

Hux sighed. “Alright Lieutenant, I understand what you are telling me now. You can stop-”

Mitaka glared weakly at him. “Please don’t interrupt me.”

Eyes narrowing, Hux took a threatening step towards Mitaka. “You have made your point. Now be quiet; that’s an order.”

Mitaka stood his ground. He knew he could overpower Hux if he wanted to while he was in a vulnerable state like this. “The Supreme Ruler has asked me to help you deal with your change, Hux. I am the only one with the experience that can do that.” Hux looked taken aback at Mitaka’s insubordination. “If you don’t let me teach you everything I know, you will _die_.”

Hux’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”

Looking to the side, Mitaka thought for a moment before moving away. Hux watched him in both confusion and curiosity. What was he going to teach him now?

“Hux, being infected by the werewolf gene gradually builds up in your brain and body. If you do not learn to embrace it and train your body and mind to control it, it will destroy you.” Mitaka stopped, slowly pulling his cap off his head. He then held it out to show Hux. “This is about the size of what a werewolf brain looks like when not taken care of properly, sir. But our heads don’t grow to accompany it without complications. If you do not learn to handle your heightened senses, if you do not _listen_ to me, they will override your brain and take your life.” Lowering his arm and looking over his shoulder, Mitaka glared at Hux. The man noticed the wild look to them as he stared intently, his pupil trembling. “I will not let you die, Hux. To ensure that, I will have to take charge. Technically speaking, since I turned you, I am your Alpha. When we’re dealing with you becoming a full-fledged werewolf, I am at the top of the food chain. Do you understand what I am saying, sir?”

Hux blinked before nodding. “Yes, I understand.”

Smiling, Mitaka turned around while placing his cap back on his head. “This only applies when I am teaching you how to be a werewolf, sir. If you notice me overstepping my boundaries on-duty, you can put me in my place. I don’t think I will overstep, but just in case.”

“That is fine, Lieutenant.” Mitaka headed back over to Hux as he added, “Is there anything else you would like to teach me right now?”

Stopping, Mitaka shook his head. “I think that’s it for now. Please let me know during the day how you are handling your senses. If they get overwhelming or you become nauseous again, I can walk you through how to deal with it. As difficult as it will be, try to be around as many people as possible. The more exposed you are to something, the faster your immune system can build a tolerance to it. The same applies to your senses.”

Nodding in understanding, Hux turned back towards the entrance of Starkiller Base. “Come, Lieutenant, I have a meeting to attend and you have your duties to deal with.”

“Yes, sir.”

The two headed back inside now that Hux had returned mostly to normal. They parted ways once inside the opening, Hux heading for his office and Mitaka needing to go to his quarters to grab his datapad. Once he was safely inside and the door locked, he fell back against it, pressing his hands to his face. He felt ill to his own stomach after that heated encounter with Hux over the dangers of becoming a full werewolf. If it had been under normal circumstances, Mitaka would have been severely punished for snapping at a General. Luckily Hux was a man of reason for certain things, so perhaps this learning process would go by smoothly.

Oh how Mitaka wished he even remotely believed that…


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a youtube playlist for this au (as of now, there will be 2 stories, so the original and its sequel) and you are welcome to suggest songs to me to add! Please be sure to provide the artist and song title or if you have youtube videos, link them in a comment or private message :)
> 
> Anyway, here is the playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5SBxGesmSp6Kzf6JBbBBY6PrTQR-nLWX
> 
> I hope you enjoy the music :)

The entire work day had been fairly hectic. Lieutenant Mitaka hadn’t heard from Hux at all and he wondered if he was alright or if he felt like dying. Mitaka could remember his first day as a werewolf too and it was far from pleasant. He hoped with Hux being older that it would not be so bad, but he had been wrong before. After his shift, he removed his datapad from his pocket and typed a message to recipient Gen_Hux. Mitaka waited at his station for a response back.

“Lieutenant, you’re still here?”

Mitaka glanced behind him and saw petty officer Thanisson at his station, staring at him. The Lieutenant smiled. “Yeah, just for a minute. I had to ask someone a question, so I figured I should just do it here and wait for their reply.” At that moment, Mitaka’s datapad beeped. He glanced at the screen, seeing a return text message from Hux. “Speak of the Devil.” Turning away, Mitaka read the urgent message, making him frown. “Dammit.”

Thanisson blinked. “Is everything alright, sir?”

Mitaka shook his head, typing up a “will be there in a minute or two” message. “No, but its not something you need to worry about.” Once the message was sent, Mitaka turned off the screen and pocketed the datapad before turning around. He gave Thanisson a quick smile before heading for the door. “I will see you tomorrow, Thanisson. Sleep well.”

“Will do sir.”

Mitaka left, heading down the corridor at a brisk pace. He didn’t want to keep Hux waiting too long. His reply had been straight to the point in choppy sentences to get his point across. Basically speaking, he was far from okay, which the outcome had been on Mitaka’s mind all day.

It took about a minute to reach Hux’s office. When the door didn’t open automatically, Mitaka knocked on it normally. He grimaced when he heard Hux practically scream, “stop disturbing me” from the other side. It was clear to Mitaka that his hearing had increased tenfold in just eleven hours. This was going to be harder than they initially thought.

“General, it’s Mitaka,” he said with a lowered voice. There was no response. “Are you able to unlock the door?”

There was a long pause before Mitaka heard a faint click and the door slid open. The Lieutenant blinked when he saw that it was dark inside. He carefully peeked inside, seeing the room empty. Swallowing, Mitaka entered as quietly as possible. The door closed and locked behind him when he moved a few feet away. He looked around again, but he didn’t see Hux out in the open. Mitaka began to panic now. Where was he?

There was a sudden scraping sound behind the desk. Rushing around it, Mitaka found Hux laying on the floor on his side. He was curled up tight and his hands were pressed hard to his ears. He looked absolutely awful and pitiful.

“Sir, Hux, it’s just me,” Mitaka announced with a quiet voice. He crouched down by his head, examining his screwed up face. It was hard to see, but it was covered in sweat. “Hux, if you can, tell me what’s bothering you more.”

Mitaka assumed it was his hearing that was really screwing with him right now, but he had to be sure which sense was worse in order to take care of it as quickly as possible first.

“M-Make it…stop.”

“Make what stop?”

Hux tightened his body up more and he whimpered faintly. “N-Noise-”

Nodding, Mitaka stood up and went around the room to end any kind of noise besides his pacing for Hux. He shut down his datapad, took the battery out of the ticking wall clock—Mitaka didn’t know why he bothered with such a rudimentary electronic when his datapad did almost everything—and shut down or unplugged any other electronic items within the room. All that was left now was to stop moving and for Mitaka to slow his heart rate down and to not breathe hardly at all. Returning to Hux, he sat down, leaned back against the desk, and closed his eyes to steady his heart rate and breathing. For Mitaka it was consistent silence, but for Hux, it was still too much. Internal machinery made noise within the walls of the base, there was piping for sinks and toilets and showers running, and anyone out in the hall had their loud footsteps vibrating through the floors. There was no noise, but also there was too much noise, because for Hux, he could hear the beat of his own heart pounding away.

Mitaka’s eyes snapped open when he heard something. Looking over, he realized quickly what it was. That was the interesting tidbit about human senses: when one is taken away, the remaining get stronger over time. But for a werebeast, the remaining senses get stronger almost instantaneously. Since Mitaka had his eyes closed, his hearing increased to accommodate.

“Hux,” he whispered. Hux growled in anger and his entire body was shaking. “Hux, I know it will be difficult, but you need to open your eyes. You can keep covering your ears, but you need to see.”

“N-No, it…h-hurts…”

“It’s very dark in here, sir. It won’t be as bad. Please trust me and open your eyes. If you don’t, you won’t be able to stop hearing your heartbeat so loudly.”

Mitaka waited for Hux patiently. Seeing the General inhale deeply after a short while, he moved closer and began to help Hux sit up. He growled in pain as he moved, feeling like his skin was being pricked by thousands of thin needles. Once he was sitting, Mitaka turned to sit sideways with him and then carefully leaned him against his side.

“H-How, is it supposed to…h-help?”

“Well…at the moment you are blind, sir. Because you have lost the ability to see, the rest of your senses are trying to compensate for it. They are essentially working in overdrive to ensure you can function without the use of sight. So that is exactly what your ears are doing, sir. All of your energy is going to the most useful part of your body. That’s why you need to open your eyes.”

After Mitaka’s explanation, there was a long time of quiet. Hux was very reluctant, but he carefully parted his eyelids. Almost immediately, he felt an ache in his head, but it was nowhere near as terrible as a few hours ago. The pitch darkness was a huge help. Mitaka waited a few minutes for him to adjust before speaking again.

“Is the sound of your heartbeat weakening, sir?”

“…Barely.”

“Are your eyes fully open?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then blink rapidly a few times. You use a lot of muscles trying to keep your eyes open, and blinking uses a lot more, so your brain’s attention will be more focused on what your eyes are doing.”

“Talk quieter.” Mitaka just nodded. They had to find a better way to communicate during times like this. Luckily they had to learn sign language at the Academy, so that option was available to them. So there the two sat for a long time without a word. Gradually, Hux’s hearing had decreased and the constant bump-badump-badump of his heart wasn’t driving him crazy anymore. He was even able to lower his hands from his head. “It’s working.”

“I told you, sir,” Mitaka whispered.

Hux slowly looked around the room to keep his mind off the situation. Although it was pitch black, he could still see everything fairly clearly. It actually amazed him. “…So this is how you see the universe.”

Mitaka looked around the room too. “It has its moments, sir.” He looked back at Hux, who was resting mostly comfortably against him. “Once you gain full control of your senses, you get to see just how beautiful, as well as ugly, things are in the universe. Beyond popular belief, canines do not see in just black and white.”

Glancing over at Mitaka, Hux asked, “What colors do werewolves see once a month?”

Mitaka smiled, but there was also just the slightest hint of sadness behind it. “I would not know, sir. After your first night, you will understand why.”

Hux looked off to the side. “I do not know how long I can keep this up, Lieutenant. All these scents gathered in one place… It’s dis _gusting_.”

“A few weeks from now you will be able to filter them out. Eventually you will be able to identify a person by their scent alone.”

“I do not wish to smell them _at all_.”

“It has its uses…” Another time of silence followed. “You must have been very busy today. I didn’t get a single message from you until after my shift.”

“Until today I did not realize how aggravating my job was,” Hux said absentmindedly. “The sights, the smells…I barely survived my duties.”

Looking away, Mitaka’s eyes narrowed in grievance. “I am sorry, sir…”

Closing his eyes, Hux shifted his position to be sitting back against the wall rather than leaning on Mitaka. He stared up at the blank ceiling. “No, I should be the sorry one. If I had just stayed in my quarters, you would not have found me and bitten me last night.” He looked at Mitaka’s discouraged face. “You don’t need to listen to that oaf of a doctor of yours when it comes to your situation. He is not a werewolf, he doesn’t know how difficult it is to be one. But I do.” Hux looked away as Mitaka began to look at him. The General lifted his hands to stare at them. “And as difficult as it is to function, I would not have it any other way.”

Mitaka’s eyes widened at that. “Sir-”

Hux looked back at him. “During our free time, Mitaka, you can call me Hux. As far as I am concerned, when you are teaching me and I am learning how to cope with my turning, we are equals.”

Mitaka smiled in gratitude. “Thank you, sir-Hux. When I wasn’t too busy during my shift today, I thought of how we would discuss important topics of being a werewolf privately. I also feel, for the time being, that we can use sign language to communicate. Just until your senses are better under control.”

“I think that is a terrific idea.”

“So where should we go? It will need to be a place where we know no one would disturb us. Maybe we should pick a room on the ship?”

“Our sleeping quarters, both on and off base, would be far more ideal,” Hux suggested. “You know where mine is, don’t you?”

Mitaka nodded. “Yes. But my room would be fine too.”

“Then the closest room from our current location will be our meeting room. The less I interact with people for the first few weeks, the better.”

“That works for me.”

Hux snorted in amusement before leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes. “Let me rest, Mitaka. It has been a _very_ long day.”

Nodding, Mitaka got comfortable on the floor next to Hux, placing his hands on the floor beside him and feeling the cold touch of the sleek, black floor. “Tomorrow morning, you can explain how your first day went to me. Or if you need to get a hold of me during the night, you can message me on the datapad.”

“That’s fine.”

The two sat there for a very long time in silence after that. Hux was nearly falling asleep almost an hour later. They had missed dinner, but Mitaka figured Hux wasn’t hungry after inhaling so many scents all day. He could remember not being very hungry the first few days either.

Mitaka’s eyes widened slightly. Looking over, he saw Hux resting his head on his shoulder with his eyes completely closed. It was an oddly comforting feeling, if he had to be perfectly honest.

“Sir?” Mitaka asked carefully. Hux didn’t respond. Well that couldn’t be good. Turning slightly, Mitaka sat Hux up and then placed the back of his hand to his forehead. It was warm to the touch, but at least it wasn’t hot. “Hux, sleeping in here would not be a good idea… Hux?”

“Erng, not so loud,” Hux grumbled.

“Sorry,” Mitaka whispered. “But my point still stands, sir: you should get into your bed. It will be more comfortable there.”

Hux didn’t move for a while, but then he slowly opened his eyes and sat up carefully. As he placed his hands down on the floor to help push himself up into standing, his right landed on Mitaka’s hand accidentally. But rather than move it away and apologize, he got to his feet. As he had pulled the hand away, there was a strange shock between the two of them.

“Dammit!”

Mitaka quickly scrambled to his feet after Hux swore. “Did that hurt?! Here, let me look at it.”

Hux cradled his shocked hand against his chest. “I-It’s fine; it’s gone now.”

“I don’t know how or why that happened. No one has ever shocked me before. I’m sorry, that must have been far more painful for you than it was for me.”

Hux rubbed the back of his hand a few times before turning to Mitaka while lowering his arms. “It doesn’t matter, the pain didn’t last long. It was just a strange accident.”

Mitaka didn’t look convinced, but he said, “If you say so.”

Grabbing the hanging flaps of his work shirt, Hux fixed his attire before they would leave the office. “We should retreat to our rooms.” Hux turned to Mitaka. “And I will message you if I have anything to report or if I need your help.”

“Yes sir.”

“Remember, call me Hux.”

Mitaka smiled. “Yes Hux.”

Nodding, Hux grabbed his powered off datapad and pocketed it. “I will fix up the room tomorrow morning. And thank you for muting most of the sounds in and around the room for me.”

“You are very welcome, Hux.”

Once he was fully presentable, Hux headed out of the office first. Mitaka looked around the room briefly before following him out into the corridor. Luckily it was mostly empty since it was almost the end of dinner time. They both parted ways since their sleeping quarters were in different wings of the base. Mitaka glanced over his shoulder, just to make sure Hux would be okay going off on his own after that uncomfortable and unruly encounter. The man was very stoic as he made his way through the hall that if Mitaka didn’t know any better, he wouldn’t know he was a werewolf. To everyone of the First Order besides those that knew of last night, they would not think twice about their General. Looking ahead, Mitaka smiled, believing Hux would do just fine in his new life as a werebeast.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did something fun for this chapter (and that will happen in a few others) It was a bit of a challenge, but I think I got it down alright :) Read to find out what I'm talking about!

Mitaka didn’t know how long he was asleep for that night before his datapad sounded on his bedside table close to his head. Groaning as he was forced awake by the sound, he turned onto his side and reached for it, fumbling to get a good grip on it. He ended up sliding it over and down onto the corner of the bed. He swore under his breath when it bounced and landed on the floor. Who the hell would be contacting him in the middle of the night anyway?

Reaching over the side of the bed, Mitaka groped around for his datapad, but couldn’t find it. Snarling animalistically, he forced himself to sit up, drop to the floor on his feet, and then leaned down, finally seeing the hunk of metal. He picked it up and jabbed the on button to wake up the handheld machine and saw that he had a text message from Gen_Hux. Almost immediately, Mitaka felt a bad feeling deep within his stomach and he hastily opened the message. A wave of relief washed over him when he saw that it wasn’t a life threatening notice from the General. Instead, the message simply stated that Hux had tried to sleep, but his senses were growing in intensity at a slightly uncomfortable rate, and he needed Mitaka’s advice on how to handle it.

Hitting the reply button, Mitaka sat down on the edge of his bed and began to type away. Immediately, the text box became a chat-like view automatically.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Excuse any mistakes, sir; I just woke up.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** What seems to be bothering you the most?

 **Gen_Hux:** All of them.

 **Gen_Hux:** _Typing…_

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Aren’t you an insomniac?

 **Gen_Hux:** You would think laying in my bed would be comfortable, but it just hurts everywhere.

 **Gen_Hux:** I suppose I used to be.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Yes, I had to learn to sleep standing, which is easier said than done.

 **Gen_Hux:** I was more tired than usual so I—I am not doing that!

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I am just saying…

 **Gen_Hux:** So what should I do?

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Stop sounding cranky, for starters.

 **Gen_Hux:** Very funny.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I was being serious.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Secondly, make as many layers as possible on your bed—

 **Gen_Hux:** My apologies.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** —and curl up in a corner— No, scratch that!

**Lt_D_Mitaka:** _Typing…_

**Gen_Hux:** I am not—

 **Gen_Hux:** Why?

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** …Sorry, I keep forgetting I’m teaching an adult how to be a werewolf, not a child.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** And stop saying you aren’t willing to—!

 **Gen_Hux:** Well that certainly explains your bad advice…

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** —do what I suggest. Because that’s all they are: SUGGESTIONS.

 **Gen_Hux:** …You’re right, I’m—

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** You know what, I take it back. I AM teaching a child!

 **Gen_Hux:** —sorry.

 **Gen_Hux:** Wait, what?

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** You want my help, Hux? Then shut up!

 **Gen_Hux:** _Typing…_

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Dammit, I’m sorry. I am tired, subconsciously I’m still very angry at myself for turning you into this, and—

 **Gen_Hux:** No, you are right. In this situation, I am a child of sorts. I was literally born a werewolf YESTERDAY—

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** —I’m doing a very bad job at teaching you anything—

 **Gen_Hux:** —and I should just take in your advice, even if I don’t do it. So just tell me your suggestions and I will consider them on my own.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka: —** You know what, hold on. I am coming to you. This is ridiculous, communicating like this!

**Lt_D_Mitaka:** _Typing…_

**Gen_Hux:** No, just stay there.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Give me a minute.

 **Gen_Hux:** _Disconnected…_

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Hey, did you just-?

Gripping the datapad tightly, Mitaka growled in annoyance. “You have got to be kidding me…” He was about to put the datapad aside when it rang at him. Stopping abruptly, he saw the symbol that indicated someone was calling him. “Oh.” Mitaka touched the symbol and it disappeared, being replaced by a dark outline of Hux. The Lieutenant grimaced at his appearance. It seemed he had been tossing and turning all night so far. “You look _terrible_.”

Hux’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, thank you for that assessment.”

“Sorry.”

Hux worked on fixing up his hair with one hand while he held the datapad with the other. “So what advice do you have for me so that I can sleep?”

“Well, first get as many soft and comfortable blankets and sheets you can get, and layer them in a spot to sleep on. That will help prevent that pins and needles feeling on your skin.”

“I’m more concerned about my mattress.”

“You have nice sheets and blankets already? Expensive ones I wager.”

“Yes. They are custom made.”

Mitaka glanced at his bed. Anyone below a Captain had basic bedding, so he was a little jealous of Hux in that regard. “Well if you can afford custom-made sheets, you could afford a custom-made mattress.”

“I could, but that wouldn’t be very fair to the rest of you, now, would it?”

“How _kind_ of you!”

“I know.”

Snorting amusedly, Mitaka stood up and moved to the head of his bed to sit in a more comfortable spot and position. He turned his pillow vertically to have it against his wall and then leaned back against it. “Okay, so I can tell you are keeping all of your lights off, so you need some kind of weak, soft light to prevent your other senses from compensating for your lack of sight.”

Closing his eyes, Hux pinched the corners of them. “So you basically want me to get a night light.”

Mitaka chuckled. “You could get that custom-made too.”

Lowering his hand, Hux held his datapad with both hands again. “I knew I shouldn’t have said anything about my bedding.”

Mitaka laughed, which made Hux get a small, few seconds smile on his face. He actually felt good inside as he conversed with his Lieutenant like this. For a moment, he forgot all about his aches and pains. Once Mitaka composed himself, he continued with his advice.

“Is your hearing still overwhelming? Because you might want to try ear plugs to cancel out most of the noise you might encounter from the walls.”

“I have a few sets, yes.”

“Well good, then that problem is solved. Now for your sense of smell, you need to try sleeping with your mouth open. The only downside to that is you tend to become a snorer pretty fast. Oh, and your mouth is terribly dry and gross tasting in the morning, but that’s just temporary, so you can decide what to do with that.”

Hux nodded in understanding. “I will keep all of that in mind. Do you have any other advice for me?”

Mitaka looked up at the ceiling in thought. “Hmm…well a hot water bottle against your stomach can help you sleep. I would also suggest warm milk to drink, but you’re lactose intolerant, so you can’t do that.”

Hux’s brow furrowed. “How do you know I’m lactose intolerant?”

Mitaka appeared sheepish suddenly. “Oh, well, whenever I saw you eating, you always avoided dairy, so I just figured you can’t have it. Also, dairy has a unique scent and you don’t have an ounce of it in your system.”

Hux tilted his head slightly to one side. “Wouldn’t it eventually just disappear?”

Mitaka shook his head. “No. If it’s a constant part of you, it usually stays. For example, you haven’t been to your home planet in years, but, before I turned you, you still smelled like freshly fallen rain. It may become faint over time, but it never fully leaves you. In a way, it has become just another part of your DNA. This can apply to anything that has been imprinted on you, really.”

Hux had listened to Mitaka’s explanation thoughtfully the whole time, feeling quite fascinated by the whole concept. This must have been how Mitaka felt when he learned everything about being a werewolf, but it also seemed very depressing at the same time. Until now, Mitaka couldn’t fully relate to anyone in the First Order because none of them would ever experience what he went through on a daily basis. None of them could see the brightness and colors of the galaxy like Mitaka could. Had Hux not been turned into a werewolf, the young man would have always been alone.

“It must have been very difficult for you, being alone…”

Mitaka blinked at Hux’s reaction to his explanation, not sure how the two were related. “What do you mean?”

“To know so much about humans when even humans don’t know all there is to know about us. Until the night before, no one knew how you saw the universe. No one would truly understand you because they will never experience what you have gone through for most of your life. Their view is simply black and white, but you can see it all.” An odd look appeared on Mitaka’s face at this statement. Hux looked away. “It must have been very hard on you to be this different…”

There was a long time of silence after this sudden turn in conversation. Mitaka never expected this to happen, but it did. He hadn’t thought about his life that way in a very long time, but Hux bringing it up now brought those buried feelings back from the grave. It started to hurt terribly inside of him again. Mitaka looked away, his eyes almost closing.

“I have forgotten how much it hurt to be so different from everyone else.” Hux looked back at the screen, seeing the sad look on Mitaka’s face. “To know that no one would ever truly understand me has been the hardest part of being a werewolf. I also couldn’t tell anyone, so it made it even worse.” Mitaka blinked as he realized something. Slowly he looked back at Hux, a small smile forming. “But now I’m not so alone anymore. I still regret what I did, but at the same time-” Mitaka stopped, not wanting to finish that. No one should have had to go through what he had gone through, so to feel upset and happy at the same time about it tore him up inside. He sighed while lowering himself down the bed a bit, turning his face away from the screen again. “I’m sorry, Hux, but I can’t take this anymore tonight. I’m going back to sleep. See you tomorrow.”

“Mitaka-” Before Hux could get an acceptance for becoming a werewolf out, Mitaka cut the connection and the screen returned to the main menu. The General blinked in slight surprise. Lowering the datapad, he narrowed his eyes as he sighed. “It’s going to be okay…”

Feeling at least half better in his bed from being distracted with the long conversation the two had shared, Hux set the datapad aside, bundled up some of his blankets and sheets for cushioning, and laid back down. Starting tomorrow night, he would take Mitaka’s advice so that he could finally get an adequate amount of sleep during the harsh road ahead. In the meantime, he would sleep with his mouth open, cover his head with a pillow to muffle the sounds around him, and then close his eyes and sleep.

* * *

It was early morning on Starkiller Base and the Finalizer, and everyone was working on getting up for their shifts that day. Mitaka woke up sluggishly because he was used to sleeping a full night. Nearly rolling out of bed, he got his leg untangled from his sheets and moved to his bathroom to take a hot shower. He didn’t see his datapad screen lighting up, nor the preview message from Gen_Hux saying, “Your advice helped me sleep just enough, but now I need…”.

Mitaka took a thirty minute shower, got his teeth cleaned, and gargled a bunch of water before getting his proper rank uniform on. After putting on his cap, he reached for his datapad, picked it up, and was about to pocket it when he saw a red light flash at him in the upper right corner. So he turned it on and saw the notice he had received on the way to the bathroom. Sitting down on his bed, Mitaka swiped his finger on the notice to open the message.

 **Gen_Hux:** Your advice helped me sleep just enough, but now I need advice for today.

Yawning, Mitaka started a reply message and the chat window automatically appeared.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I just read your message. I was in the shower, so I didn’t get it until now.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** What do you need? I have my own duties to take care of this morning.

Mitaka waited at least a few minutes before Hux answered back.

 **Gen_Hux:** I have meetings galore today with at least five people per meeting. The first one doesn’t start for two hours.

 **Gen_Hux:** Please meet me in my office before you go to your shift this morning.

 **Gen_Hux:** I will contact your lead officer to tell them you will be late.

 **Gen_Hux:** _Disconnected…_

A look of annoyance appeared on Mitaka’s face. Hux didn’t even give him enough time to respond that he would be there soon. They really needed to set up some ground rules when it came to this student-teacher thing. But Mitaka would worry about that later. Right now, he needed to hurry to Hux’s office so that he didn’t waste too much time for his shift. He would rather not work overtime tonight.

By the time Mitaka reached the office door, he heard something break inside. The door slid open and Mitaka could see the aftermath of what had caused the noise.

“Well, that’s certainly one way to dispose of old-fashioned clocks, sir.” On Hux’s desk, broken and probably missing some pieces over the room, was the ticking wall clock that Mitaka thought was a stupid item to have. He walked further into the room, the door closing behind him. Hux flipped the clock upside down with his pointer finger before forcing himself into his chair. “Why did you have an obsolete mechanic on your wall anyway? I didn’t even know batteries like that existed anymore.”

Hux was glaring at the busted clock. “The ticking distracted me. But now it’s just obnoxious.”

“You know what else is obnoxious? You hanging up on me,” Mitaka stated coolly.

Hux’s head shot up, his expression staying the same. “Careful, Mitaka, now is not the time to overstep your authority.”

“With all due respect, sir, when you request to see me about this werewolf business during work hours, I am in the right to voice my displeasure of you without repercussion,” Mitaka snapped. An unsettling silence filled the office after this. Quickly looking at the floor, Mitaka rubbed his temples with his fingers with his eyes closed. “I’m sorry, sir, this whole situation is just irritating me. Two strong-willed werewolves in the same vicinity is turning out to be harder than I thought it would be.” Mitaka dropped his hands before looking up at Hux, whose face was blank now. “Tonight, I think we need to set up some ground rules to make it easier on us. We can’t keep butting heads like this.”

Hux nodded. “I was thinking that this morning as well.”

Mitaka sighed before moving closer to the desk and reaching for the clock. “Is your hearing bothering you already this morning?”

Grabbing his waste basket, Hux set it on the desk. “Yes, but my eyes are killing me also.”

Mitaka dumped the clock into the trash and then began to clean off the desk, using this as his way for apologizing for being rude to his superior officer. “Just try to keep all lights to a minimum. If that doesn’t do anything, then keep the lights off.”

“I already told you that I have meeting after meeting today,” Hux re-explained as he watched Mitaka work. “The men and women who have to see me will need light to see.”

Mitaka smacked his hands together above the trash can to clean them of any tiny broken pieces and particles. “Have them dimmed during your meetings and then turn them off when you’re alone.”

“I will.”

Once the desk was clean, Mitaka stepped back and stood at attention. “Anything else you need, sir?”

“One more question. Would a hearing aid help reduce noise?”

Blinking, Mitaka titled his head slightly. “I guess it could, sir. Dr. Ekels could forge some papers about needing a custom one made for another patient. He may as well become your physician too.”

Hux nodded. “I will set up a meeting with him soon.”

“Okay, let me know how that goes.”

A small smirk tugged at the corner of Hux’s mouth at hearing the contempt in Mitaka’s voice. “You greatly dislike your physician, don’t you, Mitaka?”

Mitaka looked off to the side as he snorted. “Yes, actually. He’s a kriffing asshole.” Mitaka’s eyes widened in shock a few seconds after he said this. He looked at Hux apologetically. “I am sorry, I didn’t mean to be so vulgar and immature, sir.”

Hux shook his head. “No, I get it. I see why you have such a negative opinion of him. You are correct: he is an asshole.”

Mitaka smiled at this. “Thank you, sir.”

“Of course. Now I have nothing else to ask you about, so you may go about your duties now. I will contact your lead officer about your lateness. You should be fine.”

“Yes sir.”

“Dismissed.”

Looking down and turning around, Mitaka headed for the door. He heard Hux pick up his datapad and turn the screen on. Stopping in the door frame, Mitaka looked back, seeing him squinting pretty bad due to the screen’s light hurting his stronger eyes.

“Before I forget, sir…” Hux looked up. “Where should we meet tonight about the you-know-what?”

“Come back here after your shift. We can discuss matters then.”

Mitaka nodded. “Yes sir. Try to have a good day.”

“Thank you. And I will.”

Looking back ahead again, Mitaka left the office, not knowing of the strange look Hux was giving him. There was just something so terribly different between them, but neither knew what that was. It actually concerned Hux how he was feeling deep inside.

Looking back at his datapad and squinting again, Hux returned to his work as he waited for his first meeting of the day.


	6. Chapter 6

All day, Hux kept Mitaka up-to-date on how he was feeling via text message when they were on break. Mitaka was glad he was being more attentive today despite his senses causing him grief. The Lieutenant was on the way to Hux’s office when he got a message from him. Turning on his datapad, Mitaka opened it with the swipe of his finger. A look of despair appeared on his face.

 **Gen_Hux:** Office. NOW.

Almost hearing the desperation in Hux’s tone, Mitaka pocketed his datapad and started running through the halls. He ignored the strange stares as he rushed to Hux’s office. The door slid open automatically and he rushed in. The door closed and locked behind him, preventing anyone else from coming inside. When he saw the room empty, Mitaka rushed around the desk, like last time, but Hux wasn’t there. Panic quickly set in.

“Hux?!” Mitaka immediately heard a growl and a slamming sound in the office bathroom. He ran inside, seeing Hux curled on the floor with his hands gripping his head tightly. Rushing around behind him, Mitaka crouched down and placed his hands on him. “Hux, what’s wrong?!”

“M-My _h-head_ …!”

For a moment Mitaka didn’t know what it meant, but something flashed in his mind that reminded him of something. “Just try to relax, Hux,” he whispered. “The more you were exposed to people today, the harder it hits you once the day starts winding down. You’re simply suffering from a killer migraine because of your brain trying to overload itself from all of your experiences today. Until we get them under control, this is how your day will end, depending on the severity of those experiences.”

“S-Stop…y-yelling…”

Worry filled Mitaka. Getting up, he looked around the bathroom for Hux’s datapad. It was on the sink. As silently as his boots would allow on the concrete floor, Mitaka moved to the sink and grabbed it. Turning the screen on, he went into Hux’s sound settings and turned the incoming message beep to OFF. He then turned all lights of the datapad completely off before returning to Hux’s side. Since he was facing the toilet, Mitaka set it up against the base for the man to read it. He then turned off the bathroom light and his own datapad’s light and incoming message beep before sitting behind Hux and working on a message. Once he was done, he sent it and then glanced at Hux’s datapad. Within seconds, his message appeared without noise or the light turning on. Mitaka then gently tapped Hux’s arm to get his attention.

“Sir, try to use your datapad,” he whispered. “I just sent you a message.”

Still growling in pain, Hux forced himself to open his eyes, which were very watery, and read the message.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Until your migraine passes, we will talk like this. The light and signal beep have been turned off for your convenience.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** _Typing…_

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Please take your time. Don’t overexert yourself. I can wait.

Feeling eye strain from just that few seconds of reading, Hux closed his eyes and tightened his body. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take. Behind him, Mitaka leaned sideways against the bathroom wall, staring at his datapad screen as he waited for Hux to message him back. A few minutes passed, but he soon heard Hux shift. There was another long moment of near silence before a new message came through. Mitaka read it carefully.

 **Gen_Hux:** I can’t imagine what this must have been like for you at age seven.

Smiling sadly, Mitaka responded:

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** My head felt like it split in two every few seconds.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** It just happened over and over again relentlessly. It was agonizing…

 **Gen_Hux:** _Typing…_

 **Gen_Hux:** I’m sorry.

Mitaka smiled at the message. Getting apologies for his pain had been non-existent until now. Not even the shaman that had trained him and taught him everything he needed to know about being a werewolf had been very kind. Mitaka was grateful for him, sure, but he hadn’t been the most emotional person on his poor, puny planet.

 **Gen_Hux:** Are you awake? Or have you fallen asleep?

Mitaka couldn’t help but laugh softly.

 **Gen_Hux:** You have a nice laugh.

There was a pause.

 **Gen_Hux:** That was very inappropriate, forgive me.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Thank you.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** _Typing…_

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** No, that’s okay. I’ve never really gotten a lot of compliments from people. Probably because I intimidate them.

 **Gen_Hux:** That’s not true.

Mitaka laughed again.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** What if I WANT to be intimidating?!

 **Gen_Hux:** It wouldn’t suit you, for one.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** How would you know?

There was another long pause. Mitaka blinked at his screen, wondering if Hux was okay. He glanced at the man over his shoulder, seeing him more relaxed on the floor. Maybe he was just thinking long and hard before answering.

 **Gen_Hux:** _Typing…_

 **Gen_Hux:** I just do.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** …Okay.

Mitaka heard Hux release a heavy, hard breath. “I’m so _tired_ , Mitaka…”

Leaning his head on the wall, Mitaka said, “I know sir. More than you know…”

Grabbing the datapad from the toilet, Hux was able to hold it now. The pain in his head had subsided thanks to the distractions Mitaka brought him.

 **Gen_Hux:** Tell me the truth. What part is the most agonizing? And what can I do to handle it until it ends?

Laying out on his back on the floor now, Mitaka crossed his ankles, held his datapad above his face by holding the top end of the device, and thought back to his experiences when he was a child. Those moments had truly been his greatest Hell.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** _Typing…_

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** This pain you’re experiencing now is nothing, sir. It is the equivalent to having a wood splinter in your finger. Not even the days you gag and vomit because of all the different scents hitting you all at once can come close to the worst part.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** The first night I became the beast, I felt like my entire body was going to implode. It was as if I was being destroyed atom by atom.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** You see, Hux, when you transform, your entire body changes. Your bones, your muscles, everything inside and out gets remolded to that of the beast.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Like, imagine that ache in your legs when you were growing up as you began to sprout into the man you are today. I always thought it felt like your bones were twisting themselves up, but that is nothing compared to becoming the beast.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I cannot verbally describe it the right way in order to prepare you for a month from now, Hux, but you will wish you were dead, that’s how terrible that pain will be.

Mitaka took a break to let Hux read everything carefully. As he inhaled, he smelled the fear coming from the man beside him. It was faint, but he knew Hux hadn’t been prepared for such an answer. Mitaka wouldn’t be surprised if he asked to be killed right then and there. Half a minute later and a new message from Hux appeared.

 **Gen_Hux:** How long does it last? The transformation?

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** _Typing…_

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Before you lose all sense of self, about four to five minutes. But it will feel like much more. After that, well…

Hux took some time to respond again.

 **Gen_Hux:** And the morning after?

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** _Typing…_

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** You will be in some pain, but you’ll be unconscious after transforming back into your human self, so you won’t know how it feels to change back.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** For the first few years, I would be exhausted well into the afternoon. You might have to keep your schedule open the next day each month. I get the day off regardless of how I’m feeling, but sometimes I like to go back to work, like yesterday morning.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I don’t think you will have to worry too much with the aftermath, but I will be here for you when that happens.

 **Gen_Hux:** Thank you.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Well, werewolves have to stick together, sir.

Needing to rest his arm and hand, Mitaka lowered his datapad to his chest and exhaled. He closed his eyes to rest and while he waited, in case Hux had something else to ask. The General had to rest too.

“…Mitaka?”

Mitaka turned his head in Hux’s direction. “Yeah?”

“Talking with you helps with the pain. I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with, so I’m very glad you are still here.”

Mitaka smiled faintly. “Anything for my General. And you are fine just the way you are.”

Hux blinked at his screen a few times before making another message.

 **Gen_Hux:** I need to rest for a long time, Mitaka. Besides, I can’t leave looking like this. I will have to return to my quarters after the halls are deserted.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I’ll stay.

 **Gen_Hux:** You don’t have to.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I want to, sir.

 **Gen_Hux:** Call me Hux. I have heard that word probably five hundred times today and it’s just irritating now.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Were the meetings that bad?

 **Gen_Hux:** Yes, very.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I’m sorry. Maybe you should take the day off tomorrow.

 **Gen_Hux:** Perhaps I will.

 **Gen_Hux:** I am going to disconnect now. I need sleep.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I can wake you in a few hours.

 **Gen_Hux:** Thank you.

 **Gen_Hux:** _Disconnected…_

Inhaling deeply, Mitaka disconnected also, placed his datapad back in his pocket, and then curled up on his side with his back to Hux. An amused grin appeared on his face when it occurred to him that they were laying on a bathroom floor, which was far from the most comfortable place to be in. They would definitely be very sore in a few hours. But the floor was pleasantly cold, which would help with Hux’s killer migraine.

For the next few hours they laid there on the floor without a word. Sometimes Hux would let out a whimpering noise, making it sound like he was nearly fast asleep. Mitaka could sense just how exhausted and ready to be out like a light he was. Even Mitaka wanted to fall deeply asleep after his disturbed sleep last night. It had been a terribly long day for the both of them.

Mitaka had clonked out for only a few minutes, but he awoke abruptly when he felt a heavy presence move behind him. Rolling over, he only saw Hux lifting his upper body up above the open toilet for a second before the man heaved. Mitaka grimaced when he heard vomit plopping loudly into the toilet bowl. Quickly scrambling up, he used just his knees to crawl up to Hux’s left side and saw that his hair was matted to his sweaty forehead. Before the General threw up again, Mitaka pulled it back to give his heated skin some cool air. His hand slid up to the top of Hux’s head when he jerked forward. Mitaka grimaced again at the disgusting sound as Hux vomited again.

When he was done, Hux breathed heavy and loud to gulp in some much needed air. He also swallowed hard a few times after inhaling with his nose. Mitaka continued to be by his side, shoving his hair back to keep it off his forehead. Reaching with a shaking hand, Hux flushed the toilet and tried to lay back down.

“I’s too…h-hot…” he groaned out.

“Well you are burning up.”

“W-Water. C-Cold…w- _water_ …!”

Mitaka looked uncertain for a moment, but then he got a good idea. “Shower. On.”

_As you command, Lieutenant D. Mitaka._

“Water. Lukewarm.”

_As you command, Lieutenant D. Mitaka._

“SHUT _UP_!”

Mitaka jumped at Hux screaming at the electronic, female voice of the shower. Standing up, he carefully laid Hux back onto the floor, went to the manual control panel attached to the wall, and muted the voice. He then tested the water before returning to Hux’s side.

“Alright, sir, in the shower you go,” he said as he tried getting the man to his feet.

With a growl of pain and dizziness, Hux clung desperately to Mitaka in order to get better footing. It was a lengthy process, pulling the man’s increased weight-from-fatigue body over to the shower opening since he could hardly move his feet, lifting one leg at a time over the very low threshold, and finally Mitaka following him inside. He didn’t care that his whole person was getting soaking wet from the pelting shower stream, because Hux cooling down was far more important right now.

Forcing Hux to sit on the floor, Mitaka quickly stripped everything off until he was just in his underwear to have better movement. Hux unceremoniously laid down on the tiled floor, getting half of his head soaking wet. Mitaka couldn’t help but think he looked pretty pathetic for a General of a genocidal army at this moment.

Taking most of Hux’s clothes off was much harder than it had been for Mitaka. He had tried to yank the man’s boots off, but due to being custom-made just like everything else the man owned, it was impossible without the right tool. There was the option of straddling his legs and pulling hard from the heel, but that was near impossible since his legs had to be curled up in order for a person to fit in this shower. Mitaka figured Hux’s private shower was far bigger. So forgetting the boots and deciding just to pull his pants down to his ankles, Mitaka unbuckled Hux’s belt, pulled it out from under his hip, and tossed it out of the shower. By now the heavy water had roused the man from his exhaustion and fatigue, and he was painfully aware of being stripped without his permission.

“Just…give me space,” he groaned.

Mitaka gave him an annoyed look. “Your uniform is already soaked enough as it is.”

“I have…s-spares. Just…back off. Please.”

Sighing, Mitaka did what Hux wanted, going against his better judgment. He sat down a couple of feet back to stare at the man’s huddled form. No one said a word for a while. The only noise was the shower and pipes running, which didn’t seem to be bothering them at all. Hux laid in the same position the entire time, feeling loads better thanks to the lukewarm shower he was having. Mitaka had moved to the wall to lay against it and to avoid getting anymore wet.

“How are you feeling?” he asked minutes later.

Lifting his right hand, Hux shoved dripping wet hair out of his face and then rolled onto his back. His bent legs didn’t move, so he was twisted at the waist.

“Thank you for getting me in here.”

“Of course, s-Hux.”

“…I didn’t mean to snap.”

Mitaka scratched the side of his neck. “I understand. I just figured getting your skin wet would help calm you down better.”

Hux stared up at the ceiling, ignoring droplets of water hitting his face and his eye closest to the stream. “This is fine too.”

“Good to know.”

They went silent for a while. Once he was feeling far better, Hux rolled onto his side and forced himself onto hands and knees in order to sit. He backed into the shower wall, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes.

“Shower. Off.”

As if someone turned off the volume of the entire room, the shower turned off and the shower head dripped for several seconds to release the last little bit. Mitaka smoothed his wet hair back, feeling the excess water flow down his back.

“Two showers in one day is _not_ good for one’s hair,” he said before smiling.

“Please don’t talk right now, Mitaka.”

The Lieutenant yawned. “Okay…”

They sat in there for another half an hour before Hux was ready to get out of the slightly cramped space. But first, he needed to take his wet clothing off since they made it hard to move. He unzipped his black jacket and shrugged it off his shoulders to pull it off his arms. Mitaka watched him, in case he needed assistance. It took a few minutes for Hux to be bare chested. Mitaka blinked, never realizing whether or not Hux was built strong or average. It was almost disappointing seeing how thin he was. He didn’t even have faint abs around his stomach.

“No offense, sir, but its probably a good thing you’re just a General, because I don’t think you would do well in an actual fight.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Hux saw what Mitaka looked like, causing him to snort. “You’re not any better off, Lieutenant.”

“Except I can fend off attackers without much effort.” Mitaka smirked triumphantly. “I have the werewolf gene to thank for that!”

Hux jerked his head away to continue getting undressed. “Then I guess you will have to defend me if I am ever on the battlefield.”

Mitaka stood up, using the wall for support. “Well _someone_ would have to save your scrawny ass, so it may as well be me.”

Balling up his soaked shirt, Hux threw it at Mitaka’s chest as punishment. “My ass is just fine, thank you.”

Shaking his head in amusement, Mitaka widened the opening before stepping out of the shower stall, dripping wet. Once he was in the middle of the bathroom, he shook his head fast and hard, spraying water from his hair everywhere.

“Where are your towels?”

“Under the sink in a cupboard.”

Going to the sink and crouching in front of the doors, he pulled both open. On the left was extra toiletries and shower products and the right was a door-less cupboard with a few shelves. The bottom and middle had folded towels on them. He pulled out two with one hand, stood up, and closed the doors before turning around. Hux was still in the shower, but he had managed to stand up. He still had his pants and boots on. Moving close, Mitaka handed him one of the folded towels.

“Do you need any help getting out?”

Hux dried his ginger hair as much as possible before drying off his chest. “I don’t think so.”

Nodding, Mitaka dried his upper body before wrapping the towel around his waist. “I’ll be in your office if you need me.”

Going to his datapad on the floor, Mitaka picked it up and left. Hux watched him go before squeezing water out of his leggings. Luckily he had an extra set of pull-on boot hooks and boot remover wedge in his office. Once he was dry enough, he carefully got out of the shower, used the sink to splash cold water on his face, and then entered his office. Mitaka was walking around the room, looking at stuff as he waited. Going to his desk, Hux opened a bottom drawer and pulled out a metal device that was supposed to help take off form-fitting footwear at the heel. He bundled his towel up on his desk chair before sitting down and propping his left leg on the desk. While he worked on getting his boots off, Mitaka stopped at a side table that had some Academy memorabilia set on it. About in the center of the display was a photo frame of an older gentleman that looked similar to Hux, just with less hair. Draped around the frame was a set of metal dog tags. Mitaka was curious about it.

“Hey Hux, is this your father?”

Glancing up, Hux saw where Mitaka was standing and what he was looking at. “No, my grandfather.”

Mitaka looked over at him. “Why do you have a photo of your grandfather but not your dad?”

Hux snorted in contempt. “I don’t have a father. Nor a mother, for that matter.”

Mitaka frowned. “How come?”

Hux dropped his second boot and put the wedge away, slamming the drawer closed. “I didn’t have parents, I had authority figures.”

Mitaka looked back at the photo. “Oh. So you’re a military brat, then?”

“Unfortunately.”

After staring at Hux’s grandfather for a few more seconds, Mitaka turned back around, seeing the man shoving his pants off. “I never knew my dad. I guess he left my mum, brothers and sisters, and me when I was too young to remember a single thing about him.”

“He sounds like a _great_ man,” Hux said bitterly.

“Eh, didn’t know him, so I don’t care what kind of person he is.” There was a pause as Hux continued to dry off. “I think the halls are empty now. We should be able to return to our rooms without anyone noticing.”

Hux wrapped the towel around his waist. “Go on ahead without me. I think I will be fine on my own now.”

“Okay. I’ll have my datapad if you need me.”

“Good night,” Hux said as he headed back for the bathroom.

Mitaka smiled faintly at him. “Good night, Hux.”

Turning around, Mitaka headed for the door as Hux entered the bathroom to gather up the wet clothing and to fix it up. Peeking outside the doorway to see the corridor, Mitaka looked left and right to make sure the coast was clear before leaving and heading for his bedroom, yawning on the way. As soon as he laid in bed, he would fall fast asleep and hopefully stay asleep. He wasn’t too worried about Hux anymore, so the rest of the night would, hopefully, go smoothly. When he was almost to his door, his datapad beeped. Holding it with both hands, he saw a preview message from Hux. Mitaka opened it and read it quickly as he reached his door.

 **Gen_Hux:** You are welcome to sleep in in the morning. Once you are up, I would like you to meet me in my quarters so that we can discuss more about this werewolf business.

 **Gen_Hux:** _Typing…_

 **Gen_Hux:** And thank you for all your help today.

 **Gen_Hux:** _Disconnected…_

Mitaka entered his room, smiling. “You’re welcome, sir.”

Turning off his datapad, Mitaka went straight for his bed, dropped his towel and tore off his underwear, and then crawled into his plush bed of wonderful warmth, falling asleep almost as soon as his head touched the pillow.


	7. Chapter 7

Due to his strict schedule, Mitaka woke up at the usual time, even though he knew Hux had given him permission to take the day off. He stayed in bed, but he couldn’t go back to sleep. His bed was too comfortable and warm to leave it just yet.

After a boring hour, Mitaka finally got out of bed, stretching and yawning as he headed for his bathroom. He took a fast shower since he had had two yesterday and then dressed in his free time set of clothes. Everyone knew when someone had the day off because they didn’t have to wear their regulation uniform. Mitaka felt bad for Hux, knowing he had to stay in uniform regardless of his days off, just in case there were emergencies. The uniforms were comfortable enough, but to a werewolf, they were far worse than a slight discomfort. After dinner and Mitaka was in his quarters, he always undressed until he was just in his underwear and would then pull on a pair of workout shorts. Hux didn’t have that luxury.

After grabbing his datapad from his bedside table, Mitaka left and headed for Hux’s room. It didn’t take long to get there. The door remained closed once he was close enough, so he knocked gently. There was a pause before the lock clicked and the door slid open. Mitaka nearly jumped when he saw Hux standing there intimidatingly with darkness under his glaring eyes. His hair was very messy, as if he tossed and turned all night and just got out of bed. His face quickly softened when he saw who it was.

“Oh, Mitaka, it’s you.”

“Are you feeling alright?” Mitaka asked with a frown.

“Do I look alright?” Hux asked.

“Not really, no.”

Mitaka blinked when Hux looked past him, glaring.

“What are _you_ staring at?”

Looking over his shoulder, Mitaka saw a Stormtrooper looking at them in alarm.

“My apologies, General!”

“Do _not_ make me contact your Captain!”

“Y-Yes sir!”

As the Stormtrooper scurried away, Mitaka looked back at Hux. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”

Grumbling, Hux moved away from his doorway, allowing Mitaka to enter behind him. The door closed and locked once far enough inside. Mitaka glanced around the room, noticing just how big it was. It was also pretty empty, surprisingly. There was a large desk to one side, a large bed in a wooden canopy on the other, and an adjoined bathroom on the opposite side of the door. There was also a closet, but no dresser, but Mitaka assumed it was inside.

“I wasn’t expecting you for a few hours from now,” Hux said as he sat on his bed.

Mitaka looked at him, getting a better look at what Hux was wearing. It was as if he just got out of bed. “I couldn’t stay asleep. I didn’t know where else to go, so I figured I would come here to get a head start, so that we can come up with some plans to meet.”

Working on fixing his hair to be a little more presentable, Hux said, “Be sure to contact me ahead of time next time.”

“Yes, of course. My apologies.”

Lowering his hand, Hux pointed at his desk with a jerk of his head. “You may sit in my desk chair.”

Nodding, Mitaka turned to the desk, grabbed the high-backed chair, and then turned it around to sit across from Hux. There was a pause.

“May I ask you something?” Mitaka asked.

“Yes.”

Mitaka frowned. “Shouldn’t you be in regulation uniform in case of emergencies?”

Hux snorted in amusement. “I don’t have to do anything unless Supreme Ruler Snoke commands it. So on my days off, I wear whatever I want.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Why do you ask?”

Mitaka scratched his head. “I Just felt bad for you, that’s all.”

Hux’s brow furrowed. “Why would you feel bad for me?”

“Imagine that annoying feeling your skin gets if you rub the same spot over and over again for a long amount of time,” Mitaka explained. “Now imagine your entire body feeling that way because of your clothing, which is not made with the softest material. In fact, it makes you want to scratch your entire body all at once. You should feel comfortable on your day off, not miserable.”

The two stared at each other silently for a moment before Hux smiled faintly.

“Your concern for my well being is touching.”

“I wouldn’t have to be concerned at all if I hadn’t bitten you in the first place.”

“Well what’s done is done,” Hux reassured him. “The only solution to end this whole thing right here and now is to take your life, but that will never be an option for me. The First Order needs you. _I_ need you.”

Looking at the floor, Mitaka scratched his temple, smiling. “Thank you, sir.”

“Hux.”

Mitaka looked up, nodding. “Yes, Hux.”

Looking down, Hux squeezed his eyes with one hand. “I must admit, I am far more tired than I’d like to be.”

“Having your senses take over your life does that,” Mitaka said. “It will only last until you have full control of them, which could take weeks. Snoke wouldn’t give you that amount of time to cope.”

Hux looked up. “When you were training, you didn’t have any technological advances at your disposal, did you?”

Mitaka looked to the ceiling in thought. “Not that I can remember.” He looked back at Hux. “What kind of technological advances were you thinking of?”

“Enhancements for the body,” Hux answered. “Medication for all sorts of aches and pains. Energy stimuli for an exhausted mind. That hearing aid I suggested. There are plenty of options I have that you didn’t.”

Mitaka seemed dumbstruck at the notion. “I hadn’t thought of that. I was more concerned with teaching you everything I know and how I handled the situation than to think of any alternatives. That could definitely work.”

“Yes, but do I want the easy way out, or should I experience all that you did growing up with this?”

“Why _wouldn’t_ you want it easier on you?” Mitaka asked incredulously. “I mean, you’re the entire backbone of the Order! You have to be at your best!”

Hux smiled. “I appreciate the compliment, Mitaka. However, if I am to fully understand exactly who you are as a werewolf, then I must experience the same trials as you did.”

“With all due respect, Hux, the First Order can’t afford that. How I feel isn’t important. I can do my duties just fine. But you can’t, not when your senses are trying to kill you. Besides, you will have plenty of time to deal with that at night.”

“I understand.” Hux paused before pressing his hands hard on his legs in order to stand. “Let me become presentable and then you and I will go see Dr. Ekels. He will be able to help me with my pain.”

A strange feeling filled Mitaka’s chest at that simple remark. He understood what it was immediately. He had felt it many times before, both on his home planet and at the Academy. Being the middle child, for as little time as he had been, his older siblings and his much younger siblings had more attention than he did. He knew his family had loved him and missed him after he had to leave them, but his presence hadn’t been noticed much. Then later, at the Academy, he couldn’t relate with the other students hardly at all aside from the subjects they had to learn and classes they had to take to graduate. Finally, once a month, he wasn’t allowed to resume classes the next day despite if he felt great or not. This had caused some rifts with his classmates because they saw it as special privilege and they would never understand why.

Yes, Mitaka knew all about this terrible feeling in his chest. Jealousy was one of the worst emotions he wished he never had to face.

Mitaka was so deep in thought that he wasn’t aware that Hux had cleaned himself up by slicking back his carrot top hair like he normally did and washing his tired face with ice cold water from the bathroom sink.

“Let us go, Mitaka,” Hux said, grabbing the young man’s attention.

Mitaka stood up, pushing the chair in. “Coming.”

Hux led the way. Mitaka wanted to tell him how he felt about going to see Dr. Ekels, but there were far more important matters to worry about than jealousy. He knew it would be in Hux’s best interest to have any and all medication that would make becoming a full werewolf much easier and less painful on him. It was in everyone’s best interest, Mitaka kept telling himself, as if that would end the jealousy right then and there—it didn’t.

It took a few minutes to reach Dr. Ekels’ doctor’s office close to the medical bay. Hux opened the door without knocking beforehand and looked inside. At his desk, Dr. Ekels looked up from a medical file that was in a folder rather than on a datapad. When he saw Hux, he smiled graciously while standing.

“Ah, General, come in, come in.” Hux entered first. “What can I do for you?” When Mitaka walked in after Hux, Ekels frowned. “Lieutenant Mitaka, you’re here as well?” There was a pause, but the look Hux gave him caused him to add, “Well, the more the merrier I always say.”

Mitaka closed the door behind him. Hux stopped in front of the desk, still standing.

“You know why we are here, doctor.”

Dr. Ekels side glanced at Mitaka while saying, “Oh, yes of course, General. There’s only one reason why both of you would be here to see me. How are you handling becoming a werewolf?”

“Not very well,” Hux admitted. “Mitaka has helped me these last few days, but I need more help that he is, unfortunately, not equipped to provide me.”

A wry smile appeared on Ekels’ face. “Yes, I had wondered when you would ask me to offer you my services after this untimely setback.” Mitaka’s hands curled into fists that no one noticed at the remark. “How is your shoulder?”

“It has healed up perfectly. The bacta wrap and the werewolf gene did quick work of that. Not much happened on your part, I am afraid.”

The corner of Dr. Ekels’ mouth twitched. “Of course not, General.”

If Mitaka didn’t have his Lieutenant position, he would be giving Dr. Ekels a gleeful smirk at his expense. Instead, he moved forward from around Hux to stand next to him. “Dr. Ekels, we were hoping you could prescribe anything you feel would help with Hux’s pain until he has full control of his senses. By the end of the day, his head feels like it’s splitting open. I know how terrible that feeling is, so I have been able to help distract him, but during the day I cannot.”

“Ah, I see,” Ekels said, acting normal again.

“I would also like to attempt wearing a hearing aid to help quiet the din all around me when I am on and off duty,” Hux added. “Mitaka suggested you forge some documents for a John Doe that needs a special hearing aid in order for them to continue working for the First Order. That won’t be an issue, will it?”

Dr. Ekels was quiet a moment, seething inside. He tried to avoid Mitaka’s gaze. “No, General, of course not. What all did you have in mind?”

* * *

After a lengthy conversation with Dr. Ekels and being handed special medications, Hux and Mitaka left his office and headed back for the General’s quarters. Mitaka had a smile on his face when he remembered some of the more special highlights of the visit. He was feeling much better after Hux handled Dr. Ekels in such a clever fashion.

“I knew that would put a grin on your face.” With his smile vanishing, Mitaka looked up at Hux after they entered his room, the door locking behind them. Hux placed his medication bottles on his desk before turning back to him. “It is good that you appreciate my sense of humor.”

Mitaka rubbed the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. “Well, it certainly made the visit less unpleasant for me.” He lowered his arm. “So thank you.”

“Of course.” When Mitaka didn’t say anything back, Hux grabbed the bottle of pills that were specifically for his migraines and nothing more and went to his bedside table. He opened the drawer and placed the bottle inside before shutting it and sitting down on his bed. He worked on getting his more basic boots off his feet. “Are your doctor appointments always unsettling?”

Sitting down in the desk chair, Mitaka sighed. “He knows very well how much I hate conflict, so he always pushes my buttons just enough to aggravate me, but not do anything about it. He always talks to me as if I leave a bad taste in his mouth. He either hates his secretive secondary job or just hates me.”

Hux got into his bed, leaning back against the headboard while keeping his legs fully outstretched. “Well, you can always tell me how he treats you and I can do something about it that wouldn’t reveal our secret to anyone else. He wouldn’t dare talk down to you again.”

Mitaka smiled. “Thanks for the offer, but I would rather you didn’t. I can take care of myself.”

“I certainly do believe you, Mitaka, but you need to stand up to him some way or another. He has no right to treat you like just an animal. You are human; you have feelings, and he doesn’t deserve to toy with them. Give him a reason _not_ to treat you badly.”

A look of gratitude appeared on Mitaka’s face. “Okay, Hux, I will.”

Nodding, Hux lowered his body down the bed to get comfortable. Neither spoke for a while as they both rested. Mitaka was partly asleep in the chair. Hux was staring up at the ceiling, amazed at how shiny the metal surface looked despite not having any lights on or windows to provide weak sunlight coming in from outside. It was almost blinding.

“It must be difficult to look at the exterior of the Finalizer.”

Mitaka blinked his eyes open. “What?”

“The Finalizer. Looking at it must be painful on your eyes.”

Mitaka blinked a few times, confused. “I…suppose so.”

“I will never look at it the same way again after this,” Hux added absentmindedly.

An awkward silence filled the room. Mitaka didn’t know where this conversation starter came from or why Hux was suddenly interested. As he looked up at the ceiling, he finally understand why. He tilted his head to one side in curiosity.

“Huh, I’ve never really thought about it until now.” Mitaka looked at Hux. “I mean, I see it every time we leave the planet, but the tinted windows block out most of the color. So maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to look at…”

“Perhaps not.” There was some silence, but then Mitaka yawned loudly. Hux glanced at him out of his peripherals. “If you need to lay down, there’s plenty of room on my bed.”

Mitaka smiled at Hux. “Thanks for the offer, but that would be awkward.”

“Why?”

Mitaka stared at Hux incredulously. “I would think that was obvious. You’re first and foremost my superior officer; such a thing would be frowned upon.”

“Except I am giving you permission,” Hux reminded him. “But, if you would rather sleep in some stupid chair, then I will not stop you.”

“At least you’re not abusing your power to make me,” Mitaka joked. “Then I wouldn’t _have_ a choice.”

Hux blinked a few times at Mitaka, his face completely blank. “Mitaka?”

Nervousness crept up inside of Mitaka. “Yes…?”

“Lay in bed with me.”

Mitaka blushed crimson. “You-!”

“That’s an order.”

Mouth gaping open, Mitaka spluttered as he tried to protest. “Wha…but, sir-! We…you…I…! That’s not fair!”

“I do not have to be fair,” Hux said. It was faint, but Mitaka could hear the amusement in his voice. “Now are you going to do as I say, or will I have to issue out punishments?”

“But Hux-!”

“You have five seconds.”

Mitaka couldn’t believe this. How dare Hux embarrass his Alpha by making him share the same bed! What was the General thinking?!

“Sir-”

“Four.”

“What are you, five?!”

“Three.”

“Really I’m fine-!”

“Two.”

“Oh for Snoke’s sake…”

“One.”

Mitaka practically jumped to his feet. “Okay, okay! Kriff, it’s like I’m dealing with a _puppy_.”

Going to the other side of the bed, Mitaka sat down, removed his slip-on shoes, and then flung his legs up onto the plush bed. Hux was back to staring up at the ceiling, smirking triumphantly. Mitaka grumbled under his breath as he got comfortable, laying his head on Hux’s extra pillow. At least the bed was wide enough to have a good amount of space between them. Mitaka actually felt ridiculous laying next to Hux like this, even though they had done so just last night. But that had been on the bathroom floor in Hux’s office, not in his bed, so it wasn’t as weird then, but it sure as hell was now. Mitaka just couldn’t believe the audacity of it all…

“There, was that so bad?” Hux asked, not looking at him.

Mitaka shot him a glare. “You’re lucky I am a lenient Alpha.”

Hux snorted in amusement. “HA! Alpha…”

Sitting up abruptly, Mitaka glared hard at Hux. “What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“It means, I am far from intimidated by your petty standards.” Hux turned his head to look at Mitaka. “Besides, to be an Alpha, you need to fight for your position. Wolves don’t do that, so there is no such things as Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. And turning me into a werewolf is not the same thing.”

Mitaka blinked. He never really thought of it that way before. Hesitantly laying back down, he folded his arms over his chest and stared at the ceiling. “You’ve got a point.”

Hux looked back up at the ceiling too. “Glad we’re on the same page.”

They lay there without a word for a long time. It became less awkward the longer they shared the bed and since they weren’t talking. Mitaka was soon uncomfortable on his back, so he rolled onto his side away from Hux and inhaled deeply. Hux had his head turned to the side with his eyes closed. Once they were both comfortable enough, the embarrassment dissipated into nothing and it almost felt like they weren’t there together at all. This certainly pleased Mitaka.

“Hux?”

“Hm…?”

“You’re not difficult to be around. In fact, I’ve never felt more at ease than when I am with you.”

A small smile tugged at the corner of Hux’s mouth. “That is good to know…”

Mitaka smiled too. “Good. I’m glad.”

With exhaustion from last night and waking up so early when they didn’t have to took its toll, Hux and Mitaka drifted off to sleep, not knowing how much more their lives were going to change…


	8. Chapter 8

Mitaka didn’t know what time it was before he was roused awake from a loud noise. He suddenly bolted up, disoriented and not knowing where he was briefly.

“Hux?!” Mitaka jerked his head left and then right, seeing Hux fumbling with something in his hands. When he heard loud rattling, he knew what he was doing. The angry growl was a great indicator also. Getting on hands and knees, Mitaka scrambled to reach Hux’s side in order to help him. “Give me the bottle, sir!”

With an earsplitting howl, Hux threw the bottle away before he collapsed onto his bed, holding his head with his hands. “GrrAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…!”

Throwing himself off the bed and on the floor, Mitaka snatched up the bottle with both hands and then tried twisting the cap off. It popped free and he quickly shook two big pills out. He heard Hux thrashing around on his bed, snarling and howling like an animal. The migraine this time must have been ten times worse than the one from last night. His senses must have also gone into overdrive while they slept.

Jumping up with the pills in hand, Mitaka rushed onto the bed to reach Hux, who was almost to the other side. He had been rolling around on his back with his fingers clawing at his head. Mitaka had to practically jump on top of him to get him to hold still.

“Hux, I’m forcing these pills down! Please don’t bite me!”

“AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!”

With his mouth wide open, Mitaka was able to shove the pills and his fingers all the way to the back of Hux’s throat. He yanked his fingers free before clamping Hux’s mouth and nose shut so that he would be forced to swallow them. Hux fought against him to get him off and to spit the pills out, but Mitaka was stronger. For several seconds Hux thrashed around, but once he had trouble breathing, he swallowed out of reflex. The pills went down and would quickly dissolve once they reached his stomach. To help them along, Mitaka rubbed Hux’s throat with his free hand, pressing firmly enough to help push. This made Hux swallow again and the pills continued on their merry way. Almost half a minute passed before the man slowed his thrashing and loosened his fingers from his head. Mitaka finally released his nose and mouth and moved back a bit to give him air.

For the next few minutes, Hux regained his breath and his sanity and he was breathing heavily as he lay there. Mitaka was staring at him the whole time, to make sure he would be okay. It seemed the medication had worked, much to the Lieutenant’s relief. A few more seconds later and Hux closed his mouth to swallow.

“I-I’m sorry, Mitaka. I didn’t mean to…react like that.”

Getting off Hux’s stomach, Mitaka sat down on the bed, sighing. “It’s okay, sir.”

Closing his eyes tight, Hux growled. “You were right; it’s like having your head split in two every second.”

Mitaka whimpered weakly. “I am sorry, Hux. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t-”

Looking at him, Hux said, “No, none of this is your fault. You didn’t ask to be bitten by a werewolf at age seven. You didn’t force me out of my room, my insomnia did. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don’t let people like Dr. Ekels make you believe that you are at fault or are a _monster_.” As that word rang in Mitaka’s head, tears formed in his eyes. “You are not alone anymore, Mitaka. You have someone who knows how it _feels_.” The tears finally dripped down Mitaka’s face. A weak sob came from his throat. “Now you know someone that fully understands that it is not your _fault_.”

“S-Stop it…”

When Hux smiled at him, Mitaka finally lost it. Grabbing his head and closing his eyes tight, he relinquished a sob as he cried. He didn’t want Hux to know how it feels. He didn’t want anyone to suffer like he had. He just wanted everything to be back to the way it once was. This is not what he ever wanted to happen…

Forcing himself to sit up even though his entire body ached from being so tense, Hux reached over and grabbed around Mitaka’s back, pulling his curled body against his own. He held the young man tightly, amazed at his own emotions that he had never been able to fully express his entire life. Somehow, this had been one of the side effects of the werewolf gene, but Hux wouldn’t have it any other way. It felt wonderful to finally be able to care about someone else for a change. He didn’t know what he had been missing out on his entire life until this moment.

Hux rubbed soothing circles on Mitaka’s back with his hands as he continued to hold him while he cried. “Thank you, Mitaka,” he whispered into his ear. “Thank you for giving me the greatest gift in the entire universe. You will never be alone again…”

For nearly an hour, Mitaka sobbed and cried himself into exhaustion. It had been a very emotional and draining last few days. It was truly amazing how strong Hux still was when he should be wishing he was dead because of the pain. He could never remember the last time he cried because he was raised not to show emotion or to get upset, no matter how tough the situation was. Mitaka was lucky, now more than ever now that Hux was by his side. The man could feel it deep in his bones.

“…Hux?”

Hux looked down at Mitaka. “Yes?”

Sniffing, Mitaka answered, “Thanks…”

Laying his head on his shoulder and closing his eyes, Hux inhaled deeply before letting out. “You’re welcome, Mitaka.”

Once he was feeling better, Mitaka carefully pulled out of Hux’s grip, wiping at his eyes. “I’m sorry I’m a blubbering mess-”

“With the week we’re having, I am perfectly fine with you being a blubbering mess,” Hux reassured him with a wry smile.

Mitaka laughed softly as he rubbed his arm across the bottom of his nose. “Even though we share similar DNA, you are way more composed than I am.”

“DNA has nothing to do with it.”

Mitaka smiled, his eyes wet. “Okay.” There was a pause. “How is your head?”

“Better.”

“I’m glad. At least the pills work well.”

Looking away, Hux moved to the edge of his bed and stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to freshen up. Then you and I can discuss how we should properly handle our debilitating situation.”

“Yes, Hux.”

The bathroom door closed behind Hux. Mitaka got off the bed to stretch. Despite breaking down like he had, he wasn’t tired feeling anymore and he figured he would go to bed at a decent hour tonight and sleep all through the night. He got back in the bed a while later and waited for Hux to return.

“Alright, I’m ready,” Hux said as he emerged and went to his side of the bed. He sat down, facing Mitaka. “What should we talk about first?”

“You already know what your senses will do to you for the next few weeks and what could happen if you don’t control them,” Mitaka explained. “Once you have your hearing aid and are more exposed to others, things will start to even out.”

“Then what?”

Mitaka had to think about it for a moment. “We need some ground rules for when we’re together. We have already decided that Alpha is obsolete, but I will still need to maintain some level of authority over you. That should only apply when we’re off duty.”

“Agreed.”

“I think we should stick with communicating via datapad if we’re not in the same area or room. Even if you need my help, especially at night when your head is trying to kill you, use the datapad so we can talk. Just keep your anti-migraine pills within reach. Maybe even keep the cap off.”

Hux nodded. “I had already planned for that.”

Mitaka smiled. “Okay, good. Hm, what else…?”

“…When you’re transformed into the beast, what usually happens?” Hux asked.

Mitaka shrugged. “I’m not entirely sure. I figure I am able to leave my sleeping quarters whenever I wanted and run around the halls for a while. The next morning, I’m usually in an empty room or my own. Luckily I haven’t been found naked in the corridors yet.”

This amused Hux. “Yes, we certainly can’t have that.”

“It would ruin my perfect reputation.” Hux chuckled at the quip. Mitaka thought some more before continuing. “I don’t know what will happen with both of us running around the base. I just hope we don’t bite anyone else.”

“I’m sure we will manage just fine.”

Mitaka looked at the bed. “I certainly hope so…”

“Is there anything else I need to know?”

Mitaka shook his head. “No. I think we have everything covered. We’ll have to wait and see how things change from here on out though.”

“I suppose that is the best we can do.”

“Yeah…” They didn’t say anything more after that. It was quite nice just sitting around without worrying much about their hellish situation. The air felt nice like this. It helped that they had each other for company. Mitaka blinked at Hux. “I’m still sorry about this, Hux. I will never stop feeling sorry for it.”

“I know…”

“But I am glad it was you.”

Hux smiled weakly at that. “I am too…”

“Thanks.”

They both looked away again. Deep inside of him, Hux could feel something else blossoming within him. He still couldn’t put a name to it, but he figured he would find out very soon. He only felt it when he was with Mitaka or thinking about him. What exactly was it supposed to be though? It seemed like such an easy answer, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. But the better question was, did Hux even want to know?

‘ _No, I **do** want to know.’_

Hux thought of bringing it up to Mitaka, but they had more important things to worry about for now. He just hoped he would find out soon, before it was too late…

* * *

Twenty days. It had been twenty days since a second werewolf had joined the First Order. And hopefully it would be the last.

“Well, you have survived this long. How has your head been lately?”

On the Finalizer, Hux and Mitaka were hanging out in Hux’s quarters after dinner that night. The General tapped his hearing aid twice to increase the sound. “The migraines are less intense now. I’m almost used to all the scents that I am exposed to on a daily basis. I have yet to filter between another person’s scent. The only ones I know for sure are yours, the Captains’, and Snoke’s.”

“That will become easier after your first transformation happens,” Mitaka stated.

“Speaking of which, I have an idea I would like to run by you.”

“What?”

“Well, Starkiller has a vast forest on it,” Hux began. “It might be a good idea to be out there for my first transformation. That way, we don’t risk running into anyone within the base corridors.”

Mitaka thought about that for a moment, but he admitted it was a good idea to try out. He soon nodded. “We should ask Snoke if that’s okay, but I think it’s a great idea.”

“I never had a single doubt…”

Mitaka snorted, amused. “Okay, so what is the status of your other senses?”

“The hearing aid has helped a great deal for my hearing. I think I can have it out by next week. As for my sight, I am still getting sick from all the lights, but I have been able to keep my meals down. My sight is taking longer to get used to, but that night light is helping.”

Mitaka smiled. “That’s great! Seeing so many vibrant colors daily does make it harder to adjust to them, but I think you’re making excellent progress.”

“My sense of touch is getting better now too. I hardly freeze or get hot now, regardless of temperature. Upgrading my uniform to that smoother material makes wearing it all day vastly more comfortable.”

“Yeah, it’s really shiny too,” Mitaka said with a smile. He quickly scratched his shoulder that had a sudden itch. “I wish I could upgrade mine. It’s itchy.”

Hux smiled. “I could always get it tailored on the inside with the same material as my uniform. Believe me, it does wonders.”

“Okay. Yeah, sure.”

Picking up his datapad, Hux started a connection with the First Order’s seamstresses and tailors department, to request that Lt. D. Mitaka’s uniforms be inlaid with the smooth material of his own uniforms.

“In the morning, they can get started on my order. I will pay for it.”

Mitaka’s eyes widened. “What? Wait, no, you don’t have to do that! I have plenty of credits!”

Hux sent off his message, saying, “Too late, orders are non-negotiable.”

Mitaka whined pathetically. “Huuuuuux…”

“Mitakaaaaaaaa,” Hux mocked with a soft laugh. Mitaka snorted but didn’t say anything. Hux turned off his datapad before looking up at him. “I haven’t said this to you yet, but you are a great teacher. I have learned a lot since day one. Thank you.”

Mitaka blushed in embarrassment. “Oh, kriff, no, thank you. I…didn’t actually think I could do you any good-”

“Nonsense,” Hux said while waving his hand through the air.

“But you’re alive and well, and that’s what matters to me,” Mitaka finished. “I would have hated myself had you not been strong enough to handle the werewolf gene.” He smiled faintly. “So thank you for staying alive, even when the pain was too much to handle.”

Hux nodded with gratitude. “You’re welcome.” Silence followed for a few minutes. “…Mitaka?”

The Lieutenant perked up. “Yes?”

“You are an amazing person.” Mitaka’s eyes widened in surprise. “And don’t let anyone convince you otherwise. Or they will have to answer to me, alright?”

Mitaka didn’t know what to say. He felt pride fill his chest at Hux’s kindness. He hated to admit it, though, but at first he hadn’t liked Hux showing emotions like this towards him and him alone. There was something just so wrong about it, but Mitaka didn’t know why. It had something to do with the werewolf gene, he had decided long ago. It was scary how easily Hux could turn it on and off too. During work hours, he shut them off and was cold and ruthless, to an extent, but as soon as he was alone with Mitaka, he turned them back on again. Mitaka wished he knew what this meant, if it even meant anything at all…

“I don’t…know what to say.”

“I know.”

Mitaka frowned, hating to bring this up when they were having such a nice time together, but he had to know. “Hux, why do you only act like this around me and when we’re alone?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why do you only smile and seem happy around me? You were never this way before I accidentally turned you. I just don’t understand how you can turn your emotions on and off so easily. I mean, what exactly has changed?”

Hux’s brow furrowed slightly in the middle at the inquiry. How was he supposed to answer a question about a concept that not even the greatest minds had the answer to? Why did anyone feel the way they felt when the chemicals of the brain triggered them to be released? Hux certainly didn’t know why. In fact, he never even realized he was doing it. It just happened on its own, he guessed.

“Do you not want me to be happy and smile around you?” he asked when he didn’t know what else to say.

Sighing, Mitaka shook his head. “It’s not that, Hux, it’s just the fact that it happens. When we’re on duty and around Stormtroopers, Captains, and other militant officials, you are your unemotional self. But when we’re together, alone, you’re a ray of sunshine. It’s just a bit… _concerning_ , to say the least.”

Mitaka looked away, not liking that their time together had changed so drastically. He should be glad that Hux was happy, and yet he wasn’t. There was just something so wrong about it…

“I am sorry if my behavior is upsetting to you,” Hux said some time later. “It must just be because of my change. It’s as if being a werewolf has made me…more human.” He looked down at the bed. “How ironic…”

Mitaka blinked. It was certainly a strange phenomenon, one that would become clear a lot faster than they ever thought possible. Once the uncomfortable silence lifted, Mitaka looked back up, deciding to put it all behind them.

“In just ten days, Hux, you and I will become the beast. I have no words to properly prepare you for that first time, but I will be by your side during it. All I can tell you is that the pain will be a _million_ times worse compared to your migraines. Only your head has felt the effects so far, but in ten days, it will spread to your entire body. You will wish you were dead before your mind goes completely blank.”

Hux nodded in understanding, feeling mostly prepared for his first transformation night. Already he was nervous and worried about what the pain will truly be like. He believed Mitaka when he said he would want to die. But he wasn’t going to fall through with it. Hux was determined to stay alive and well. It was his destiny to rule the galaxy, and no amount of werewolf nonsense was going to change that.

Standing up a few seconds later, Mitaka smiled faintly at Hux. “I’m going to my room now. If you need me, message me.”

“Alright. Sleep well.”

“You too. Night.”

Turning around, Mitaka left, leaving Hux alone for the remainder of the night. As he stared at the place the Lieutenant once stood, he felt something grow deep in the pit of his stomach, something that was determined to break free and infect his entire being. Perhaps Mitaka would soon feel it too?

“I don’t know what I am becoming, Mitaka, but whatever it is, I hope you will accept it,” Hux said to himself out loud. He looked down at his hands in his lap. “I _need_ you to accept it…”

Releasing a tired sigh, Hux rolled over to lay straight out on his bed. He laid on top of his covers, rested his freshly showered head on his silk pillows, and quickly fell asleep, that feeling growing far faster than any of them could imagine…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update: June 21 (Tuesday)


	9. Chapter 9

“Supreme Ruler, may I have a word with you?”

It was the afternoon before the night of Hux and Mitaka’s werewolf transformation and Dr. Ekels was in Snoke’s chamber, standing at attention before the foreboding figure.

“Yes, doctor, what is it?”

“I am concerned, sir.”

Snoke’s eyes narrowed. “Of?”

Dr. Ekels put on a brave face. “For the werewolves, sir…”

“I have heard your concerns many times before, doctor, but the plan has already been set for General Hux and Lieutenant Mitaka for tonight. They will be planet-side in the forest, far from anyone of the First Order. Your concerns do not matter anymore.”

Ekels swallowed hard. “With all due respect, sir, we would all be safer if they were-”

“Do not question my decisions, doctor!” Snoke bellowed. Ekels cowered back in fear. Snoke’s eyes were narrowed in anger at him. “General Hux being bitten by Lieutenant Mitaka was the General’s own doing, not the Lieutenant’s. Had he not disobeyed curfew, we would not be having this conversation. But that is all in the past. General Hux has developed into a fully functioning werewolf this past month thanks to Lieutenant Mitaka, and they will help each other stay in line this evening. Now take your concerns elsewhere, before I decide to feed you to your patients tonight.”

Dr. Ekels couldn’t help but glare in anger, but he remained silent. With the swish of his physician coat, he turned around and stalked away, fuming the entire time. Snoke stared after him with narrowed eyes, sensing his unbridled fury very clearly. Ekels better not be planning to do anything drastic in such a constant state.

* * *

Once it was closer to nightfall, Hux and Mitaka returned to Starkiller from the Finalizer in a transport pod. They had set a course for a clearing in the dense forest and were close to landing. Mitaka was nervous, more so for Hux than himself. He had never encountered another werewolf after he was first bitten as a child, so there was no telling how the two would act upon meeting each other for the first time. Would they try killing each other, or would they subconsciously know that they were equals? It would certainly be an interesting night for the both of them.

Landing a few minutes later, Mitaka stared out his window, seeing it getting darker with each passing second. They had at least fifteen or twenty minutes before they would begin to change.

“Nervous?”

Hearing the voice beside him, Mitaka looked over at Hux. “Yeah.”

Hux smiled. “We’ll be fine.”

“But there’s a chance we’d try killing each other.”

An unsettling silence followed. Hux looked out his own window, nodding. “Yes, there is that…”

“I’m also…worried about you,” Mitaka added softly.

Hux looked at him again. “Because of the transformation?”

“Yes.”

Looking out the window, Hux let out a heavy breath. “We will find out soon enough…”

Before Mitaka could say anything else, Hux opened his hatch and stood up and out. He closed it before stretching his arms and legs after being cramped up in the pod. With a deep breath to calm himself, Mitaka also left the pod, not bothered by the biting cold. In just a few minutes, the pain would come and then who knows after that. Mitaka just hoped Hux could handle it okay.

“It would be a good idea to take off all of our clothes,” Mitaka said as he worked on getting undressed. “They would be in tatters otherwise.” An amused smile formed on his face to help lighten the mood. “You’re not shy about nudity, are ya, Hux?”

“No,” Hux answered as he worked on getting undressed too.

“Good, because I am done with the awkwardness between us.”

Sitting on the ground, Hux yanked his workout shoes off his feet after untying the laces, whereas Mitaka was more practical with comfortable slip-on shoes that slipped off easily. He didn’t even have to sit down to do it. Once his feet were free, he dug his toes in the snow, glad that it was so soft.

“Won’t you get frostbite?”

Mitaka turned around to face Hux, who had been staring. “No, the werewolf gene protects us from freezing cold temperatures. We’re even protected against UV rays. So no cancer for us.”

“Mh.”

Mitaka continued getting his clothes off. “We should hurry. We only have a few minutes left before the first pains come.”

Hux stared at Mitaka for no reason, just watching him undress. Something nagged the back of his mind, but he couldn’t place what it was. All he knew was that he felt it whenever he was with Mitaka or around him. It was worse in his belly, like metaphorical butterflies people got when they were nervous. But Hux wasn’t nervous in the slightest. Well, not counting the transformation in just a few minutes; he was very worried about that. Mitaka was right, there was a chance they would try to kill each other, not to mention the warning that the pain beforehand would be even worse than the head-splitting migraines.

“Mitaka?”

Completely nude now, Mitaka stood before Hux, giving him a curious look. “Yes?”

Hux looked away from his body finally. “Where will it come from? The pain?”

Mitaka rubbed the back of his head. “You will feel a burning sensation in your stomach first. At least that’s how it was for me. Then it spreads through the rest of your body.” Looking at the snow, Mitaka crouched and dug his hand through it. “The bitter cold of the snow might dull it a bit.” He looked up from his crouched position. “If you’re afraid, Hux, you can tell me.”

Hux looked off to the side, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t know how I feel…”

“I see.”

There was a long pause. Sighing, Hux stood up, unzipped his pants, and then shoved them down his legs. He then kicked them off once they were to his ankles before pulling down his skin tight boxers. Mitaka watched him, still not liking Hux’s thinness. Even his legs weren’t very muscularly toned. It made Mitaka wonder what his form would look like as the beast. Not even Mitaka knew what he looked like, but he assumed he had sleek black fur because of his hair. Maybe that meant Hux would have red and orange fur. The possibilities were endless.

Hux was now nude like Mitaka and they stood there without a word for a while. Sitting down, Mitaka grabbed up some snow and began to cover himself with it. Hux watched him, not sure what he should be doing while they waited for the pain. He was vaguely aware of a burning sensation forming in his stomach.

“Is the snow working?” Hux asked to distract himself.

“I don’t know.”

“Maybe I should bury you in-”

Hux didn’t get a chance to finish his joking remark as what felt like fire ruptured through his lower extremities. Mitaka looked up in alarm when he heard him cry out in pain while falling to the ground.

“Hux!”

With his arm, Hux pulled up as much of the snow as he could against his stomach as he lay there in agony. Mitaka jumped to his feet and tried to reach him, but he froze up when he also felt fire in his belly. Growling, he sank to his knees and then forced his body to the ground. About the same time, the fiery feeling began to spread throughout their bodies internally. As it turned pitch black from nightfall, the sounds of cracking filled the air, as well as growls and howls of immense pain.

Hux had never felt anything like it, not even when he had been shot in the leg by a blaster bolt during combat training at the Academy. No, this burning pain was far worse, because with it came breaking, cracking, and morphing bones. He could even feel his organs reforming and moving around to fit the skeletal structure and organ placement of a wolf. It was definitely, by far, the worst pain he had ever experienced in his short thirty-three years of his life.

Mitaka wasn’t doing much better than Hux, but he had transformed so many times that it wasn’t nearly as painful. It was still very painful, sure, but it wasn’t agonizing for him like it would be for Hux. He was also transforming at a much faster rate since his human body was used to changing into the beast. The question now was, would he be done before Hux or would they finish at the same time? Neither of them would know in the end.

“Grrr, H-Hux!”

“GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA…!”

Lifting his slightly shaking upper body off the snow, Mitaka blearily saw Hux curled up in a ball, clawing at his head with long, sharp nails. It wasn’t easy to see, but Mitaka realized Hux's skin was peeling off his body in layers and then being replaced by fur hide, starting with his backside. His spine was also sticking out abnormally and getting thicker at each vertebrae. Ignoring his own spine thickening and causing him terrible pain as his back jerked outward, Mitaka slammed clawed fingers of his left hand on the ground, attempting to drag his body towards Hux. It was a shame he hadn’t thought to be closer to him, because he would have helped him position his body in a way to help lessen the pain. Before he would black out, he had memorized what changes happened first and then second and then third and so on, so he could position himself to fit the changes’ needs.

“H-Hux! L-Lay…on your…b-back…!”

Mitaka didn’t get to see if Hux had listened to him as he forced himself onto his own back seconds before his chest jerked hard into the air as his ribs and pectorals buffed up abruptly. He heard Hux howl in agony as the same thing happened to him, but since he was curled up on his side, he almost flipped completely over. Without proper balance as he was on his side, he fell forward onto his stomach. By now, most of his skin and flesh had been replaced by large patches of reddish-brown fur all over his now muscular back. The fur spread to his sides and hips, which bulked up when the thick muscles of werewolves replaced his smaller size. Since he was a few inches taller than Mitaka, he would be a fairly large werewolf when it was all over.

Gradually, the two men began to lose all sense of self as their minds were changing to those of beasts. They were still fully aware of the agonizing pains in their entire bodies, but where they were and who they were started to disappear from their minds. Their painful screams were now replaced by snarls, growls, and howls, which were typical noises of most predators. From the base of their spines, the tail began to grow longer and muscle, tendons, more vertebrae, and flesh began to form into bushy wolf tails. By the third minute of this hell, their bodies were covered by wolf skin and fur and their head, hands, and feet began to change last.

Somehow managing to be on all fours by minute four, Hux’s half-formed wolf snout opened wide at the mouth, letting out a few seconds long snarling roar. Canine teeth replaced his human teeth after growing big and thick in his larger mouth. Pointed wolf ears sprouted on top of his head, his human ears completely gone. Away from him and nearly complete with his transformation, Mitaka was mindless and he was panting heavily with his long, pinkish-red wolf tongue hanging out of his mouth. His breath could be seen thanks to the freezing cold giving it form and flying around his face. Suddenly hearing something close-by, he slowly opened his new, wild eyes, and looked in Hux’s direction.

Hux was shaking terribly as he was partly on his furry knees and lower arms and he was panting now too. Thanks to their enhanced eyes, Mitaka saw red and orange fur in an intricate pattern on Hux’s back and sides. Streaking up from the base of his neck to the top of his head was several different width stripes of orange, as if he had dragged his nails across them. Although his human mind was completely replaced by the beast, Mitaka knew Hux was another werewolf, same as him; that was the extent to their knowledge of each other. Being the first one done, he got on his back paws with his front ones in between his knees, moved the front right one forward to half stretch out his slightly thicker body, and inhaled the air a few times deeply. His huge ears suddenly fell back as he gritted his teeth, growling in warning at Hux.

Hux lay calmly on his side in the snow, his fur moving from the sudden biting wind that appeared. He heard the warning before carefully looking over his thick shoulder to see what it was. When he saw Mitaka move closer while opening his mouth to bare his fangs in a menacing growl, he swiftly rolled over on all fours, half barking, half growling at him for his own warning. They then began to circle each other, keeping a wild eye out in alertness. Getting angry that this red werewolf wasn’t backing down, Mitaka’s pure black form got to his back paws and he jerked his arms and furred hand-paws to the sides while letting out a breathy roar that shook the trees around them.

And that was all it took. Hux instantly backed down and he cowered back, his ears flattening to his skull and his tail tucking in between his legs. He whimpered in apology before he got on his stomach in a submissive state. Mitaka breathed heavily and growled at him, but he had calmed down a tiny bit. His furry chest heaved as he tried to get his heart rate and breath back under control. He waited at least ten seconds before bending his legs at the knee and crouching down. He continued to growl softly at Hux, just to keep him on his toes and to let him know that he was still the one in charge here.

For almost an hour, the two werewolves didn’t move or try to communicate, they simply stared at each other. It didn’t take much longer before Mitaka got bored and stood back up. Growling weakly at the back of his throat, he turned to the right, stopped to see if Hux did anything, and then took a careful step to the right. The red werewolf didn’t move, signaling to Mitaka that he wouldn’t follow him. Finally jerking his head around, the black werewolf walked away and headed deep into the woods, leaving Hux far behind. Feeling safe now, Hux tried to stand, but since he wasn’t used to his new body, he lost his balance and crashed to the ground. He whimpered pathetically like a frightened wolf pup.

While Hux tried to learn how his body moved under normal, calm circumstances, Mitaka traveled through the forest, sometimes clawing at trees with his claws for no apparent reason. He even took the time to urinate on bushes and trees to mark his territory. As he traveled, he would sniff the air in search of wild animals to hunt and eat. Part of him was aware that he hadn’t been here before since nothing smelled or looked familiar, but that was the extent of his knowledge. As the beast, he was pretty dumb, moving forward on nothing but instinct and his senses alone. He didn’t even have the perception of time at his disposal.

Eventually Mitaka caught the scent of another live animal, but he had no idea what it was. Wanting to find out quickly since he knew he was very hungry, he got on all fours and began to run through the woods at an insanely fast speed despite his bulky size. He ran for at least five minutes before he saw something massive up ahead. Getting a wolfish grin on his face, he managed to pick up speed and weaved in and out of trees with ease as he approached the unknown creature.

A serpentine head shot up abruptly and looked left and right quickly, catching a strange noise close-by. Quickly turning to the left on scaly legs and feet, a reptilian-like creature saw the werewolf charging at her, baring his fangs. Knowing she was being attacked when she saw the werewolf jump high in the air at her, she spun around, slamming her long lizard tail into Mitaka’s chest. He was suddenly sent flying to the right and he crashed through a thick tree, breaking it in two. His body crashed into the snow and slid back a few feet. Digging his hand-paws into the ground, Mitaka slowed his slide enough to force himself to his back paws. He dug his nails into the snow to stop himself before charging at the creature again.

Facing Mitaka, the creature roared at him from her mouth, saliva flying from her many rows of sharp teeth. The werewolf swiped at her face with his right hand, managing to smack her and draw blood from his sharp nails. She snarled before quickly wrapping her long, coiling neck around his arm and biting into his bicep. Mitaka howled in pain at the fangs sinking deep into his flesh, so he curled his hand-paw into a fist and clobbered her in the head with it. She recoiled as fast as she could to avoid another hit like that, lowered her head, and then stepped forward, slamming the top of her head into Mitaka’s exposed chest. The werewolf grabbed around her neck with his arms as she managed to shove him back with her charge. He slid back several feet before she turned her body to smash into him with it.

For the next few minutes the strong, vicious beings attacked, clawed, and bit each other, neither wanting to get bested by the other. On the next attack, Mitaka slammed hard into a tree with his whole body from his backside and he fell forward into a crouch. He was breathing heavily from exhaustion. Knowing she was going to win this battle, the reptilian rushed forward a few feet, ready to knock him down with her head and neck.

“GrrRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!”

“RAAAGH!”

A large red and orange creature forced the reptilian to the ground and then they rolled over once. The new being then threw her as hard as it could, slamming her into a tree. She fell back down on her stomach, her front legs outstretched. Lifting her shaking head, she looked over, growling at her attacker.

Staying on all fours, Hux bared his fangs at her as he took a step closer. Behind him, Mitaka had regained some strength and was able to see who had saved him. When he saw Hux, his ears perked up in surprise. Had this werewolf protected him?

Without warning, the reptilian attacked Hux head-on, jerking her head to the right as she got her long neck ready to coil around him. Getting on his back paws, the werewolf struck at her neck with his right hand-paw, drawing blood. Unfortunately, it hadn’t stopped her from wrapping her neck and head around his chest, shoving his arm back against his body. Hux snarled in pain as she bit him on the opposite shoulder. She then managed to wrestle him to the ground, getting her front feet on his side. She attempted to tear a good chunk of flesh from his arm as she jerked her head backwards, but a black blur came up and grabbed her jaws, prying her mouth away with thick hands.

Mitaka had finally recovered enough to help. Once Hux’s shoulder was free, the black werewolf elbowed the reptilian’s head hard, making her uncoil her neck. She then stepped back since he had released her mouth, growling at them. Now with two large-sized werewolves to contend with, the reptilian wasn’t as confident that she could win, let alone run away. She either had to try escaping, or die with a fight. Before she could make a decision, the two werewolves rushed at her, ready to break her into pieces if they had to.

Turning sideways, the reptilian swung her tail at Hux since he was the biggest, even if it wasn’t by much, attempting to knock him over. Acting quickly, the red werewolf turned towards the onslaught and grabbed it with his arms and body. He got good footing before trying to pull her around to throw her. When she couldn’t break free, Mitaka leaped on top of her, digging his claws from all four paws to wound her and hold on. She thrashed around, trying to throw him off, but he simply wrapped his legs around her body and then forced his body to one side. With the help of Hux, the two were able to knock her off her feet. Mitaka rolled off her before his leg could be crushed by her body, pivoting and sliding across the ground when he landed. Releasing her tail, Hux started clawing at her with swift swipes of his hand-paws, tearing away flesh and drawing blood. Snarling, the reptilian lifted her back foot and kicked him hard in the chest. He crashed into the ground several feet away, rolling over to land on his stomach.

The reptilian tried to get her front feet out from under her to place on the ground in order to stand up, but her injuries made it difficult to move. She lifted her head and snapped her teeth at Mitaka, who had tried to injure her front. He jerked to a halt just in time, her nose just centimeters from him. He then smacked her hard, drawing blood and tearing away some flesh from her mouth. She roared at him in anger before ducking and head-butting him in the chin.

“AR-HRRK!”

Mitaka’s tongue was sticking out from between his teeth, having just bitten it during the headbutt, and he fell, crashing on his back. As the two werewolves recovered, the reptilian used her tail and long neck to swing her way back onto her feet. She swayed a bit due to her injuries, but she was still alert and ready to defend herself if she had to. Growling and whimpering, she turned her body around to face Mitaka. He was still working on standing up after biting his tongue and getting his brains knocked around.

“RAAAAAAGH!”

Looking behind him, Mitaka growled, but it ended abruptly and his eyes widened when he saw two large reptilian feet coming down at his face. Spinning around in the snow, he ducked underneath her chest and then thrust his body upward, wrapping his arms around her body. With tremendous strength, he shoved her backwards, forcing her on her back. Getting on top of her, he lifted both fists high above his head and then brought them back down at her chest. There was a sickening crack and she howled in immense pain. As she began to fall on her side, wheezing for breath, Mitaka jumped backwards off her, grabbed her tail with his arms, and then began to pivot around, dragging her body with him. With the help of the snow, he was able to drag her around, trying to get her spinning so that he could throw her into a tree. Since she was much heavier than the werewolves, he couldn’t even lift her off the ground, let alone throw her. However, there was one thing he _could_ try.

Slamming his nails through the reptilian’s flesh, Mitaka swiftly twisted her tail around, hearing a loud, sickening snap. She snarled out as he broke her tail, leaving it completely useless for defense. By now Hux had recovered and was observing the situation, to come up with a plan to help Mitaka end the reptilian once and for all. After seeing the black werewolf break her tail, he came up with the solution. Roaring, he charged at her head and neck by running on all fours, getting his nails and teeth ready.

With one last ditch effort to at least kill one of the werewolves, the reptilian twisted her neck around and shot her open mouth at Mitaka’s neck from the side. She didn’t even get the chance to snap her teeth around him before Hux slid under her neck, grabbed her throat, and then pulled her head down as hard as he could over his shoulder.

A loud snapping noise shot across the sky. Having grabbed at just the right spot, Hux was able to break the reptilian’s neck at the base of her cranium, killing her instantly. He carefully lifted her head over his shoulder and dropped it to the ground as he stepped away. The reptilian’s neck and head flopped down to the ground, twisted at a nasty angle. Hux was smiling wolfish at his successful kill. He didn’t know the word for it, but his body filled with pride at what he had accomplished. He was about ready to decide which part of the body that he wanted to consume when he was tackled to the ground by Mitaka.

The two werewolves began to wrestle each other in the snow. Since he was far older by werewolf standards, Mitaka managed to get Hux in a powerful headlock on his knees, pressing his free hand hard against the back of his cranium. Hux tried to claw his arm away, but he was losing oxygen fast. Mitaka had no plans to kill him, so he held on only long enough for the red werewolf to become too weak to fight back. Hux ended up collapsing, whining pathetically. Feeling satisfied, Mitaka quickly released him and then punched him in the back of the head.

“Arp!”

Hux slammed his hands on the back of his head, forcing his ears down and tucking his tail in. Growling weakly, Mitaka turned around to face the reptilian and moved to her ribs. Crouching in front of her, he pulled his right arm back behind him, aimed his clawed hand-paws at her, and then thrust it forward, slamming them through her thick hide with ease. He was able to tear a small chunk of flesh off. Dropping it to the ground at his foot, he grabbed the tear and pulled more pieces away.

Soon, Mitaka had a good sized hole that was dripping with blood and he could see the meat inside. Getting on all fours, he opened his mouth partway and then shoved his snout into the warm flesh. He placed his hands on her body, grabbed a good-sized chunk of meat with his mouth, and then yanked it out, blood flying from the gruesome wound. Grabbing the meat with his hands, he sniffed it for inspection. His mouth instantly began to water when he knew he had found the perfect piece. He opened his mouth wide to sink his teeth in it when he heard a whine behind him. Stopping and looking over his shoulder, he saw Hux crouched a few feet away, looking pitiful in the face.

Growling in anger, Mitaka turned on his heel and snapped his jaws at him. Hux jumped back and cowered away, whining again. Mitaka gritted his teeth as he growled at him, sending a very clear message to stay away. Turning away again, he shoved about half of the meat in his mouth and began to gnaw and tear at it, finally able to eat his meal. He soon sank to his knees in bliss as he kept eating.

Behind him and staring in annoyance at Mitaka, Hux dropped down to sit, placing his hands on the ground in between his legs. He growled weakly at the black werewolf, but decided to wait his turn just to appease him.

It took Mitaka a little over a minute to eat the first chunk of meat he had wanted. He licked his bloody jowls as he pushed himself to his feet. Hux perked up, hoping it was his turn. Going back to the carcass, Mitaka returned to tearing flesh off the hole to make it bigger and to gather more meat. Still Hux waited to get a taste of his kill that should’ve been his to start with, but the waiting was making him even hungrier. How much longer was this other hot-headed werewolf going to take?

After eating some more, Mitaka was satiated and he worked on licking the blood off his fingers and palms. He heard a hard-forced snort of aggravation behind him, but he ignored it. It seemed like forever before he picked up some of the meat on the ground that he had dropped, turned, and then walked towards Hux. As Hux sat up in anticipation, his tail began to wag on the ground behind him, hoping Mitaka was ready to share. The black werewolf stopped a couple feet away, stared at Hux blankly, and then held the meat out to him. Getting on all fours, the red werewolf inched closer to sniff the meat, believing this could be a trap, but Mitaka stood still, waiting. With a swift swipe, the meat was gone from his hand-paws and Hux turned his back on him to bite hungrily at it. He stayed on his feet in a crouch, his tail wagging happily as he devoured the fresh meat and blood.

As Hux ate, Mitaka turned around and walked off, sniffing the air to catch a scent of a river or stream. Unfortunately, he would not find anything that wasn’t frozen solid, but he was resourceful, he would figure something out. Hearing the retreating footsteps far behind him, Hux jerked his head over his shoulder, entrails of meat hanging from his chewing mouth, to catch a dark outline disappear within the trees. He quickly slurped the hanging meat into his mouth, finished off his meal, and then returned to the carcass to tear more flesh and meat from it. If the other werewolf decided to come back, Hux would have a peace offering waiting for him upon his return. He also wanted to show this werewolf that he could be trusted. Because for some reason, he felt that Mitaka was important to him, in one way or another…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> General Hux:  
>   
> Lieutenant Mitaka:  
>   
> Height Comparison (Includes Kylo Ren):  
> [](http://hitaka5ever.tumblr.com/image/163401002177)
> 
> Werewolf Lines: http://comburo.deviantart.com/art/Werewolf-Template-567027774


	10. Chapter 10

Somewhere, deeper in the woods now, Mitaka had located a frozen creek. Crouching on all fours, he sniffed the ice and then licked it. His tongue suddenly caught on a rough part, making him unable to let go. His eyes widened when he realized he was stuck. Placing his hand-paws on the ice, he pushed against it and then jerked his head upwards. He was suddenly dropping backwards after his tongue slipped free, crashing into the snow and creating a soft cloud of snow particles around him. That was twice his tongue had been mistreated, the first time being when he bit it during the headbutt. Slurping it back in and growling, Mitaka forced himself to roll over on all fours and then he shook his whole body to get the caked-on snow off.

Turning back around, Mitaka returned to the creek and began to claw at the ice to break through to the water below. All this did was create a lot of cracks, but it was still standing strong. Growling in anger, Mitaka stood up and then slammed the bottom of his paw into the weakest point. His paw sank into the ice cold water after the ice broke. If the creek had been deep, he would’ve sank partway into it. Mitaka yanked his foot free, shook it out above the snow, and then got on all fours to lap at the water. It stung his tongue, but it still tasted delicious. After getting his fill, he placed one arm into the hole at a time to clean his bloody hand-paws and arms. He then cupped his hands, filled them with water, and then cleaned his face. He was soon clean and dripping wet. After shaking his wet body parts, Mitaka turned to the left and headed off, wanting to explore this place for a while. He sniffed the air constantly, made some marks for reference that he had been there, and just traveled along the creek bed to pass the time.

Meanwhile, back at the dead reptilian, Hux had set the meat into two different piles; one for him and one for Mitaka. Once there was enough for another meal that night, he set off in search of the black werewolf on his back paws. He was now used to walking in his new body, so traveling would be simple for him. He was on his own for a very long time, sniffing around as he went. It took him a while to sniff out Mitaka’s scent, which smelled of pine and wood smoke, whatever that was. It was sharp and bitter and made him sneeze. With barely any warning, the harsh sneeze caused Hux to vomit some of what he had eaten. He certainly hadn’t expected such a thing to happen, so he was confused. Coughing out what was left in his throat, he shook his head, placed a hand to it when it ached, and then continued on his way. He soon caught the scent of water, so he changed course and headed for it.

It didn’t take long for Hux to find the same creek. Going to the bank’s edge, he tried to put his hand-paw in it, but he touched the ice instead. Releasing a sigh that sounded like a weird growl, Hux started clawing at the ice with one hand, leaving thick scratches on the surface.

Hundreds of yards away, Mitaka’s ears perked up and turned back. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a small mass that was Hux. Growling weakly, he turned around and headed back the way he came to confront him.

The fur on the back of Hux’s neck and upper back rose up suddenly. Spinning around on the snow, he growled, seeing something coming towards him. He quickly relaxed when he saw it was Mitaka. Before the black werewolf could reach him, he lowered his body down into a submissive position, his tail tucking under him. Stopping a few feet away, Mitaka growled softly behind a closed mouth, eyeing the red and orange werewolf closely. Hux didn’t move an inch, wanting to show him that he was obedient despite not wanting to be. But he still remembered being smacked and punched in the head, so he swallowed his pride and submitted.

The two werewolves stared at each other cautiously, not wanting to cause trouble with one another. Sighing some time later, Mitaka moved to the creek bed, crouched down, and then began to claw and hit the ice to break it. Lifting his head a bit, Hux looked at what he was doing. He blinked in surprise when Mitaka stood up and slammed his back paw through the ice, creating a hole. After taking his paw out, he turned around and walked away, shaking his leg out behind him as he did. Hux watched him go before moving to the hole, using his hand-paws to make the hole bigger, and then thrust his head deep inside. He sucked in a ton of water before yanking his head out and swallowing the large gulp. Heavy, ice cold water fell down his neck and chest, helping him get rid of the caked on blood. He then dunked his arms into the bigger hole and washed up before turning around to face the forest. Sniffing the air, he located Mitaka’s scent, figuring out where he was going. Wanting to catch up, Hux got on all fours and ran after him.

It took ten minutes for the werewolves to reach their hunting ground. Seeing the piles of meat far away, Mitaka’s ears perked up in wonderment. Hux stopped a few feet from him, breathing hard and heavy through his nose. He soon whined to get the black werewolf’s attention. Mitaka looked at him over his shoulder, blinking. Hux became more alert at the odd look he was getting, feeling that sensation in his belly growing again. He waited patiently for Mitaka to do something.

“Grrr…”

Hux flinched involuntarily at Mitaka’s weak growl, but the black werewolf just looked back ahead and moved to one of the piles of meat. He gathered it all up in his hand-paws and moved away, wanting his own place to lay and rest. Hux relaxed when any hostility between them dissipated. Releasing a heavy exhale, he went to his meat pile, laid down, and curled up around it to protect it. When he was hungry again, he would resume eating before the night was done.

* * *

Weak rays of sunlight filtered through the thicket of trees. Up above, birds chirped and sang to greet the new morning. Several different woodland creatures came out of their holes, burrows, nests, or other shelters to do their usual morning routines.

Somewhere, deep in the woods, smoke rose into the air and disappeared around the tops of trees. On the ground and near a reptilian creature that was dead, a naked, human body with carrot top hair curled up tightly in the snow. As he breathed in, the smell of burning firewood entered his nostrils, helping rouse him from his deep slumber.

Rolling over slightly and looking over his shoulder, Hux opened exhausted, blue eyes and saw the blurred form of a nude Mitaka, who was tending to a campfire a few feet away. He had chunks of raw meat cooking over the thick, heavy and hot flames. Feeling movement to his right, Mitaka sat up straight, looked over at Hux, and then smiled after a few seconds of staring.

“Morning.”

Rolling back over on his side, Hux closed his eyes tightly and growled as he pushed himself up. He placed a hand to his aching head when he was on his elbow. Melted snow fell down his body that he had been lying in for most of the night. Not that he would know or remember anything from last night, but he figured something bad had happened while he was the beast.

“What…t-time is it?”

Mitaka looked up at the sky, seeing the sun trying to expose itself through the trees. “Possibly 0900.” Once he was sitting, Hux rubbed at his aching eyes with his fingers and then ran one hand through his unkempt hair. Mitaka glanced at him. “How do you feel?”

Hux rubbed a tender spot on the back of his head. “I’m a bit sore. I think I hit my head on something hard.”

Mitaka flipped the meat over to cook the other side. “Well, good news is, we didn’t try killing each other last night. Bad news is, we don’t know what kind of damage we caused, minus this hunting grounds here. I wonder what this reptile thing is called.” Curious to know what Mitaka meant, Hux looked around and then spotted the carcass. “I decided we could eat it cooked for breakfast instead of raw.”

Looking back at Mitaka, Hux tried to stand up, swaying slightly from fatigue. His entire body ached, like he had been bulldozed by something huge. He got himself turned around before stumbling to the fire. He plopped down when he was close enough, letting the intense heat wash over him. It helped rid his body of the pain due to its warmth.

“I don’t remember anything from last night.”

“That’s normal,” Mitaka said, looking at Hux. “For you its lucky, because you don’t remember the excruciating pain of having your body change into that of the beast. I, on the other hand, still remember it clearly. I had trouble getting up half an hour ago because of it.”

“I am sorry.”

Mitaka smiled encouragingly. “It’s okay, the muscle memory doesn’t last too long anymore. You get used to it over time. Not by much, but enough to want to stay alive.”

Hux nodded. “So what happens now?”

“We need to eat breakfast and then find our space pod. Once there, we have to contact Dr. Ekels to come meet us. We will be cleaned up and he’ll have clothing for us. Then we’ll return to the Finalizer on his transport ship and be able to go to bed in our rooms.”

Hux nodded in understanding. “I will definitely need a long rest.”

Mitaka couldn’t agree more. For the next fifteen minutes, the meat cooked all the way through and they were ready to eat their breakfast. They ate in silence the whole time and by another ten minutes, they were ready to return to their space pod. Mitaka killed the fire, gathered up the leftover meat and placed it by the carcass for some other animal or alien to find, and then they headed east. As they traveled, Hux started up a conversation to pass the time.

“How much of my transformation were you able to witness?”

Mitaka turned his head to Hux since they were walking side-by-side. “About half. You were mostly covered in werewolf hide and fur, but your head didn’t change shape yet. Once the pain became too much for me, I tried my best to concentrate on what I was going through. Then everything turned black, like a candle flame slowly snuffing out.”

“And what happened when you woke up this morning?”

Stopping abruptly, Mitaka sniffed the air, trying to pinpoint the space pod’s location. “I awoke sluggishly and was confused since I’m normally on base. This way.” Mitaka turned a bit to the left and they continued. “Once I remembered the plan for last night, I looked around our hunting grounds to try to get some idea on what we did. I suppose we ate and then traveled around for a while before returning to the hunting grounds for the rest of the night. You were still dead asleep, so I decided to get a fire going and to start making breakfast. I thought of going to the space pod on my own, but if you woke up before I returned, I didn’t want to leave you confused and afraid.”

Hux snorted. “Afraid…”

Mitaka looked at him with a weak glare. “Trust me, it happens. You wake up, not knowing where the kriff you are, and you get panicky and scream and cry for your mommy that doesn’t even know where you are because you were forced to leave your home to live with a cranky old shaman that was a cold son of a bitch and-”

Stopping them suddenly by getting in the way, Hux slammed his hand against Mitaka’s mouth, while the other gripped his arm firmly. “Alright, okay, I get it. Calm down.”

Grabbing Hux’s hand, Mitaka pulled it off his mouth. “You are lucky, Hux! You have someone that will be kind to you after all this kriffing _shit_! I didn’t get that luxury! I was _seven kriffing years old_ , Hux! You’re a grown ass man! So don’t tell me to calm down when you have no _KRIFFING IDEA_!”

Yanking his arm free, Mitaka shoved past Hux, storming away in anger. The General stared after him, feeling ashamed of himself for upsetting Mitaka. Lowering his gaze to the snowy ground, he followed after him without a word. For the remainder of the walk back to the space pod, they didn’t speak. The air around them calmed down when they reached the clearing and they saw the pod. Going to Hux’s side, Mitaka sat down in the seat, grabbed the receiver off the dash, and then sent a signal up into space. There was a long silence before something clicked.

“ _Dr. Ekels, who am I speaking with?”_

Mitaka held the talk button down. “Dr. Ekels, it’s Mitaka. Hux and I are ready to be picked up.”

He released the button and waited. There was a long pause before Ekels responded back.

“ _I will be there in twenty minutes.”_

“Thanks.”

They ended the call and then Mitaka got out of the pod. Hux was standing off to the side, staring at the horizon where the sun was located. Mitaka stared at him, not knowing what to do while they waited. He was still a little angry about Hux’s arrogance of the situation. The man literally had no _idea_ what being a newly-created werewolf at such a young age had done to the poor Lieutenant.

“I’m sorry I was inconsiderate back there.”

Mitaka straightened up more. Hux had turned around to look at him, his face blank. The Lieutenant looked to the side.

“When I tell you something that I have experienced hundreds of times, then you shouldn’t question it or brush it off.” He looked back at Hux, who had taken a few steps towards him. “Because I will always be right and you will always be wrong.” There was a pause as Hux continued to walk towards Mitaka. “…What are you doing?”

“Come here.”

Mitaka took a hasty step back. “Why?!” Stopping a couple feet from him, Hux shot his arms out and wrapped them around Mitaka, yanking him to his body and holding him tight. “Umph!”

Mitaka was partly winded for a moment after he crashed into Hux’s naked body, his head hovering over his shoulder. His eyes were wide when he felt the man hugging him with his head against his neck and shoulder.

“You were right, I’m sorry.”

The bewilderment Mitaka felt lasted for a while, but then he relaxed, his knees bending slightly as he succumbed to the warm embrace. Sighing heavily, he laid his head on Hux’s shoulder, closing his eyes.

“Thank you, you stupid softy.”

“You like it.”

“…Yeah.”

They stayed that way for about a minute. Lowering his arms, Hux took a step back, gently pushing strands of loose hair off Mitaka’s face. He suddenly chuckled when he noticed something.

“You’re filthy.”

Mitaka hit the spot below Hux’s collar bone firmly with the ball of his hand. “So are you.”

“Not as filthy as you are, I’m sure.”

“Oh you think so, huh?”

Hux smirked. “I know so.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll wrestle you for it.”

Confusion crossed Hux’s face. “What?”

Before Hux knew what hit him, Mitaka ducked his body and playfully tackled into him. Hux moved backwards, but he quickly regained proper footing by digging his bare feet into the snow. Wrapping his arms around Mitaka, he tried to push him back.

“I-I’ll show you who’s…f-filthy.”

Hux wasn’t quite sure what Mitaka was thinking, but he figured it was a werewolf thing. Any uncharacteristic thing Mitaka or Hux did was to be blamed on the werewolf gene it seemed. Apparently playfulness was part of the whole package. Well if that was how Mitaka wanted to play, then Hux would show him that he could do it too.

‘ _Kriff what is wrong with me?’_

Play was so childish, and yet they were so inclined to do it with each other. If the First Order found out about this, it would surely mean disaster.

Hux attempted to get Mitaka turned around so that he could wrestle him to the ground on his stomach, but the squirmy devil shoved one arm away to turn sideways and used his shoulder for leverage as he pushed Hux back a few feet. One of Hux’s feet slipped and he nearly ended up falling, but he looped his arm down and grabbed the base of Mitaka’s leg with his hand, lifting it. This caused Mitaka to grab a hold of Hux’s upper arms to avoid falling instead. Now they were both precariously on their feet. Getting an idea, Mitaka shoved his bent knee into Hux’s outer thigh, forcing his leg to almost give out. It seemed like the shorter man was getting the upper hand now.

“J-Just…f-fall, already…!”

Hux barked out a laugh. “Not a chance… Gotcha!” Having quickly grabbed the base of Mitaka’s other leg while he was distracted, Hux yanked both out from under him and then forced him onto his back in the snow. He fell to his knees between Mitaka’s legs and hovered over his smaller frame, smirking triumphantly down at him. “I win.”

There was a pause, but then Mitaka’s cheeks and ears flared red, his eyes widening slightly, at the realization of the position they were in. The two men were naked and his knees were up as his legs were spread, whereas Hux’s legs were close to his thighs. Mitaka swallowed hard.

“Hux…”

“Yes?”

“Could…I get up now?”

Smirking faintly, Hux sat up on his knees and stood up between Mitaka’s legs, holding his right hand down for him. Smiling in gratitude, the Lieutenant snatched his dirty hand up and shoved with his free hand to push off the ground. Hux helped pull him to his feet, turned him around, and then swiped the snow off his back with both hands.

“There you go.”

Mitaka turned back around, rubbing snow out of his unkempt hair. “Thanks.”

“Why don’t we go sit in the pod while we wait,” Hux suggested. Nodding, the two returned to the pod and got in their seats, closing the hatches to keep the cold air out. They sat there in silence for a bit, but then Hux looked at Mitaka. “What was it like, living with this shaman character anyway? Your reaction when you brought him up was very hostile…”

Mitaka scratched his neck. “He wasn’t around very much. While I am grateful he taught me everything I needed to know, he was very cold. Whenever I complained about the pain, he just told me to stop being a baby and deal with it. If I vomited inside his home, I had to clean it up even though the smell would make me throw up again. Then, on transformation nights, he would take me far away from civilization for everyone’s safety and then leave me until the next day. Some days he forgot to pick me up, so I was forced to return home by myself. Luckily I had his tobacco and wild grass scent memorized, so getting back wasn’t too hard. It would almost take me the whole day to come back though. I was grateful, sure, but he was a terrible person that treated me with disrespect because of what I was,” Mitaka finished.

Looking out his window, Hux snorted. “Sounds like my father.”

Mitaka looked at him. “What was he like growing up?”

“Not a father, that was for sure,” Hux answered. “As soon as I was old enough, he shipped me off to the Academy, like I was only born for that purpose.” Hux looked back at Mitaka. “I am also grateful, because I wouldn’t be a General if it wasn’t for him, but that’s about the only good thing he ever did for me. My mother wasn’t any better.”

“What about your grandfather? I mean, you have a little shrine dedicated to him. What’s he like?”

“He was far more of a father to me than my biological father, for one. I didn’t get to see him much, but when we both had a free minute, we visited and talked or had lunch. He was a military man, but he had a loving heart for family and like-minded men and women like himself, and he treated me like I mattered. He made me the ambitious man I am now.”

“Where is he now?” Mitaka asked after a pause.

Hux was staring down at the control panel with narrowed eyes. “He passed away of old age when I was twenty-three.”

Sadness crossed Mitaka’s face. “I’m sorry.”

Looking back up at him, Hux smiled. “He lived a long, full life. He left a few things for me in his will, like his dog tags. The rest either went to my father or was donated to the Academy or museums. He also left me a good sum of credits that I have saved for special occasions. He was a great man, one that I admire above everyone else.”

“Even Snoke?”

“ _Especially_ Snoke.”

Mitaka laughed softly. “Don’t let him hear you say that!”

Hux just snorted in amusement before looking ahead. “What about you? Do you admire anyone, Mitaka?”

Mitaka’s face turned beet red. “O-Oh um…well yeah, of course I do! Who doesn’t?”

Hux glanced at him. “And who would that be?”

Mitaka’s mouth fell partly open. “Er, well I-” Hux blinked, his face stoic as the Lieutenant continued to ramble. “I mean I guess I— Well there’s a lot of people that I-naming just one would be too…I just-”

“Just say the first name that comes to mind.”

“Oh for the love of ever galactic hell, Hux, it’s _you_! Kriff!”

Mitaka froze up right after he blurted this out, feeling embarrassed again. Hux chuckled at him as he buried his face in his hands. “Well thank you, Mitaka, I’m flattered.”

Mitaka made a noise behind his hands, making Hux chuckle again. While the Lieutenant recomposed himself, the man stared at him with a faint smile, just admiring him and his adorable personality. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Hux had the urge to punch a wall. The word “adorable” wasn’t even in his vocabulary, and yet he had used it in such a context. What was wrong with him?!

Soon, Mitaka dropped his hands, his face back to normal now. He looked out his window, seeing a speck coming towards their location from the sky high above. Hux had jerked his gaze away at the last second, looking down at his naked body. The pain he had felt many times before in Mitaka’s presence was there, but it had escalated to his chest too. It caused his heart to pulse hard against his ribs. Minutes passed by and the beating got worse.

“…Looks like our ride is here.”

Looking up, Hux saw Mitaka get out of the pod without a backwards glance. Half closing his eyes as he looked down and over to his hatch, Hux shoved it open hard and then got out, trying to will his heart to calm down. It was pumping so hard that he heard and felt it in his ears and against his chest. Soon, the transport ship released the landing gear as it was thirty meters from the ground. Hux walked around the pod and saw it begin to touch down far away. Mitaka stopped at least fifteen feet away, his hair blowing wildly from the wind the ship created. By the time Hux reached him, the beating of his heart went back to normal now that they weren’t alone together anymore.

After the ship landed, it took Dr. Ekels at least a couple of minutes to exit, carrying a dufflebag over his shoulder. He gave the two werewolves a nod when he was a few feet away. Stopping, he dropped the bag to the ground.

“Good morning General, Lieutenant.” Crouching down, he unzipped the medium-sized pouch on one side, reached inside with both hands, and pulled out hover cleansers, the same ones used on Mitaka the morning after Hux had been turned into a werewolf. Standing back up, he looked at them. “How do you feel?”

Stepping up to Mitaka, Ekels turned one of the cleansers on and set it above Mitaka’s head. Once he released it, the device began to scan his entire body very thoroughly. Ekels then did the same for Hux with the second one.

“We’re just a little sore,” Mitaka answered, watching the cleanser work. “Hux took longer to wake up after he transformed back this morning.”

Turning back to the dufflebag, Ekels opened the main pouch and pulled out two sets of free time clothes, setting them on top of the bag. “So how did you like being a werewolf for the first time, General?”

Hux straightened out his hair while the cleanser worked on his chest and upper back. “I don’t remember anything, so I wouldn’t know.”

Ekels turned to look at them. “Well, you’re both in one piece, so I suppose it wasn’t bad.”

Mitaka glowered at Ekels, but didn’t say anything. Hux, on the other hand, was more than happy to call him out on it.

“Actually, it was terrible. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, what with being an average human without any problems.”

The corner of Dr. Ekels’ mouth twitched, but he remained calm looking. “No, I suppose I don’t.”

“That’s right, you don’t.” Mitaka was staring away from the two testosterone-filled men, pretending he was interested in a snow-covered tree that was melting a bit from the sun. When his cleanser was done, Hux moved past Ekels and crouched down to grab his clothing. “You can return to the ship, doctor. I wouldn’t want you freezing to death out here.”

Mitaka chanced a glance at Dr. Ekels, seeing the annoyed expression on his face. Turning on his heel, he headed back for the ship, muttering angrily under his breath. Hux ignored him as he pulled the boxer shorts on. Soon Mitaka’s cleanser was done and it landed on the ground at his feet. Not hearing it buzzing anymore, he looked down and saw that he was done. He picked up both cleansers before moving to the dufflebag and dropping them in the medium pouch.

“I don’t think Dr. Ekels appreciates your sass, Hux.”

“Well he had better get used to it,” Hux said, pulling the black tank top on over his slender frame. “Because I am not a nice guy.” He turned around, smirking. “Or at least not to those who are not worthy of it.”

“Why do I get the feeling that that mental list of names is very small?” Hux just snorted in amusement while closing his eyes. Mitaka smiled before picking up his boxers and pulling them on. While he finished getting dressed, Hux gathered up their discarded clothing from last night and shoved it into the dufflebag. Mitaka soon finished and was ready to return to the Finalizer. “Ready?”

Hux swung the dufflebag over his shoulder before heading for the transport ship. “Let us go, Lieutenant Mitaka. You and I have a date with our beds once we’re back on the ship.”

Grinning, Mitaka mock saluted. “Yes sir!”

Mitaka ran up to Hux’s side to walk with him to the ship. With his free hand, the General ruffled up his hair with his full hand in a friendly gesture. To get back at him for messing up his hair even more, Mitaka sent back friendly fire by elbowing him in the ribs, getting a laugh out of Hux.

On the ship and in the pilot’s chair, Dr. Ekels was staring out the windshield at them, his eyes narrowed at their behavior. Dastardly thoughts ran rampant in his mind as he tried to figure out what their relationship as Superior Officer and Subordinate meant for them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update: TO BE ANNOUNCED! (I need to finish a specific chapter before I can post more (chapter 14 to be exact))


	11. Chapter 11

It took half an hour to return to the Finalizer and for Hux and Mitaka to visit Snoke, to tell him about their first night as a pair of werewolves.

“It is good to see you all in one piece. I will admit, I had my doubts that both of you would return unscathed.”

“We are glad we did not disappoint,” Hux said.

Snoke leaned back in his chair. “It seems to me that putting you on the planet rather than inside the Finalizer was the right call. We will have to do the same next month.”

“If that is what you wish, Supreme Ruler.”

Snoke slowly spread out all of his fingers on one hand in a dismissal gesture. “Go, rest. You may have survived this long, General, but you still have a very long way to go.”

After a slightly deep bow, Hux turned on his heel and walked away. Mitaka also nodded at Snoke.

“Thank you, Supreme Ruler.”

Turning around, he followed after Hux, ready to return to his living quarters and take a very long nap. The two traveled the ship in silence, ignoring anyone staring at them. Reaching a corridor halfway to the first wing of the living quarters, they ignored the only person leaning against the wall with their arms crossed over their chest and a heavy boot pressed to the wall. A shiny steel- and black-masked head lifted a few inches and turned slightly in their direction.

“Shouldn’t the two of you be busy with important matters, General?” a deep, metallic voice said behind the mask.

As Mitaka inhaled on his next breath, he caught the unique, fluctuating scent of a very special member of the First Order coming from the robotic-looking figure. A shiver ran up his spine as he felt archaic energy wafting off them. Stopping a few feet away, Hux glared.

“Shouldn’t you be minding your own business, Kylo Ren?”

Kylo Ren, one of the strongest and most dangerous men of the First Order, looked away as if he had been offended by the question. Mitaka was staring at him closely, wondering what he was doing here when he was normally cooped up in one of two of his rooms or on a special mission with his fellow Knights of Ren. The Lieutenant wasn’t necessarily fearful of him, but whenever they were in the same vicinity, he felt otherworldly sensations all over his skin and in his nerves that weren’t very pleasant.

When Kylo Ren didn’t respond, Hux sneered before walking around him and continuing on his way. Mitaka stared at Ren for a few seconds longer before doing the same, feeling another shiver run along his back as he passed the Knight. He closed his eyes tightly to prevent a whimper of discomfort from escaping him. Ren stared after them, his hidden eyes narrowing.

“I do not know what the two of you are hiding, but I will find out soon enough, one way or another…”

Before they turned the corner, Hux gritted his teeth, a weak, but menacing growl forming in his throat. Mitaka glanced in worry at him, knowing full well why the General was acting this way. Kylo Ren and Hux _hated_ each other with a burning passion. Mitaka hoped he would never have to get stuck between them one day. Of course, he was more worried about being _alone_ with the frightening Knight than anything else.

The two werewolves soon reached the right floor, but it was time to part ways since their quarters were located on different wings beyond this point. Hux stopped and then turned to face Mitaka, who also stopped.

“If I need you, I will be sure to contact you on the datapad.”

Mitaka nodded. “Yes sir.”

“You’re dismissed, Lieutenant.”

Releasing a tired breath, Mitaka turned to one branching corridor and walked away, leaving Hux to stare after him with that feeling bubbling up in his belly. One day he hoped he could pinpoint what it was, but, for now, he had to regain his strength after last night. And that required crawling into his super comfortable and warm bed and sleeping for, hopefully, the entire day.

* * *

About three weeks came and went since Hux and Mitaka’s transformation night on Starkiller en planet, and everything seemed to go back to normal. Or as normal as two secret werewolves could be in this technological universe. A few things had happened in that time, such as learning some very valuable information that was crucial for the First Order, a new influx of soldiers had arrived from their training facility located somewhere on Starkiller and were assigned Captains, and Mitaka had become Hux’s personal assistant, and he would be seen tailing him constantly as they dealt with the First Order’s business together. It had been an exciting time for all of them and Mitaka was just honored that he could bear witness to it and be a little more hands on because of Hux.

A few days before the second transformation on the planet, there was a knock on a door with a plaque that read Dr. Ekels’ Head of Office on it. There was a pause before the door slid open after a click. Inside, Ekels looked out, smiling when he saw who it was.

“Ah, General Hux, what can I do for you?”

Standing in his regulation uniform at the door, Hux reached into the large pocket of a new coat that he had draped over his shoulders most days and pulled out a small device with his black-gloved hand.

“I have come to return the hearing aid you commissioned for me.”

Dr. Ekels looked down at his palm and reached for the ear piece. “I hope it did what it was meant to do for you, General.”

Hux lowered his arm. “It most certainly did.”

Dr. Ekels pocketed the device. “Do you acquire anything else from me?”

“Yes, there is something I have been meaning to talk to you about, but with my… _situation_ , taking over my life recently, I have not had the time.”

Ekels blinked curious eyes at Hux. “Oh? Then what is it? Something important possibly?”

“Ah yes, it is definitely important,” Hux answered. “More important than you will ever know.” Before Ekels could inquire further, he was suddenly doubled over, gasping for breath as he got clobbered in the windpipe. He sank to his knees before Hux, unable to get a breath. Pretending that he was going to help the doctor up, Hux crouched down and placed his gloved hand on his shoulder. “If I _ever_ find out you mistreat Mitaka or any of your other patients behind closed doors again, you will wish you had never been _born_.” Yanking Dr. Ekels to his feet, Hux fixed his lab coat and then pushed him inside the room, having a strong grip on his collar. “Am I _clear_ , doctor?”

Since he could only wheeze right now, Dr. Ekels nodded frantically in response as he stared at the floor. Hux gripped him for a few seconds longer before letting him go, turning on his heel, and stalking to the door. He stopped in the doorway, looking back at Ekels with a smirk.

“Oh, and, enjoy your docked pay for compensation for those poor, ex-patients of yours.”

Looking back ahead, Hux walked out, the door closing behind him. Still weak in the legs, Ekels collapsed to the floor, gritting his teeth in pain.

“Rrng, y-you are going to p-pay for this, G-General…” Dr. Ekels didn’t know how Hux had found about his fairly nasty methods of dealing with the patients he didn’t particularly like or despised, but he would find a way to make _him_ sorry instead. As he lay there for a while, an idea lit up in his brain and his eyes snapped open. Then a cruel grin spread across his face. “Do not worry, Hux, I _will_ make you pay indeed, heheheeh…”

Once he could breathe properly again, Dr. Ekels carefully got up, fixed his attire to look as if nothing had happened, and then took out the hearing aid from his pocket, crushing it in his hand like a bug.

* * *

Later that night, Mitaka was traveling through the Finalizer after his shift to go to dinner. On the way, he met up with Hux, smiling when he saw him. They had barely seen each other when not on duty since the morning after their transformation, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Hux in the same corridor.

“Evening, General.”

Reaching him, Hux turned around, draped his arm over his shoulders, and placed his hand on his upper arm to hold him to his side. Mitaka was taken aback by this gesture. “Ah, Lieutenant, just the person I wanted to see.” Mitaka blinked in curiosity as Hux guided him down the hall, releasing him before they met up with anyone partway to the mess hall. “I Just wanted to inform you that a small matter on a very concerning subject has been taken care of very recently.”

Mitaka quirked an eyebrow at him. “Okay… And what does that have to do with me?”

“Oh, it has everything to do with you, Lieutenant Mitaka. If it wasn’t for you, I would not have discovered the mistreatment of patients that are no longer under Dr. Ekels’ care.”

Mitaka’s eyes widened. “What?”

They soon reached the mess hall and Hux turned to face him. “I had a strong feeling something was amiss with him, so I had him privately investigated and discovered the truth about his practice. Those mistreated patients have been reassigned to new doctors and Dr. Ekels’ pay has been docked for compensation to those patients. You are the last patient I needed to inform.” Before Mitaka could say anything about this, Hux walked past him and headed back the way they came. Mitaka looked over his shoulder at him. “Enjoy your meal, Lieutenant. It’s your favorite.”

Hux turned the corner and out of sight, leaving a dumbstruck Mitaka behind. Turning his head slightly, still keeping an eye out, he blinked, not sure how he felt about this. And why did Hux have to tell him like this? Why didn’t he just message him before bedtime?

Mitaka’s stomach suddenly growled, making him blush. Looking down to place a hand on it, he felt something in the back of his mind. He had a bad feeling about all of this…

Sighing, Mitaka lowered his hand before entering the mess hall to grab some dinner. He dished up, saw that Hux had been correct about his favorite dish, and then found a mostly empty table to sit at. As he began to eat, someone came up behind him.

“Lieutenant Mitaka?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Mitaka looked over his shoulder, seeing petty officer Thanisson by him. “Yes, Thanisson?”

Thanisson smiled. “May I sit with you, sir?”

Smiling, Mitaka nodded. “Of course.”

“Thanks.” Thanisson sat down next to him and picked up his piece of garlic bread. After taking a delicious bite, he chewed and swallowed before releasing a relieved breath. “Man does that hit the spot.” Mitaka chuckled before taking another bite of his own meal. They ate in silence for a bit, just enjoying each others’ company. During a small break, Thanisson looked at Mitaka. “If you don’t mind me bringing this up, sir, but I’ve noticed you’ve been spending far more time with General Hux lately. Is there a reason for that, or is it just coincidence?”

Mitaka washed some bread down with his cup of water before answering. “Yes, I have been assigned to follow him around for record keeping and a lot of other important tasks. I even run errands for him sometimes.”

“Do you enjoy working with him?”

Mitaka smiled. “I do, actually. Why do you ask?”

Thanisson shrugged while picking up his own cup of orange juice. “He just seems like an unrelenting hard ass if you ask me. I don’t think I could handle being around him all day.”

Out of nowhere, Mitaka’s eye twitched as he felt irritated with the critical remark. “Well he isn’t so bad. You don’t know him like I do, so be careful with what you say.”

Thanisson smiled sheepishly. “My apologies, sir. I do admire him though. There’s a rumor that he has something big planned someday for the First Order. Do you know anything about that?”

“No.”

“Well if you find anything out, a lot of us would like to know details.”

Mitaka eyed him. “I am afraid it would be below your rank to know what General Hux does in his private life, Thanisson. _I_ don’t even know what all he does when I’m not around.”

‘ _Like finding out about the investigation on Dr. Ekels,’_ he thought.

Since when did Hux have time to investigate something that shouldn’t even matter to him anyway? Mitaka figured he didn’t care how any doctor treated their patients so long as the patients could still work just fine. Everyone knew of the General’s strict and emotionless personality, and everyone just dealt with it. But was he still the same old, ruthless commander of the entire First Order army? Or had he changed drastically since being turned into a werewolf? Had Mitaka accidentally turned the man soft?

Sighing, Mitaka finished his dinner, stood up with plate and cup in hand, and entered the walkway between each long table. He looked at Thanisson before leaving.

“Good night, Thanisson.”

The petty officer looked up, smiling. “Good night, Lieutenant. Sleep well.”

Mitaka walked away, passed his plate and cup to a clean-up robot, and then headed out of the mess hall. Before he walked out the door, the hairs on the back of his neck went up, making him stop and look over his shoulder. When he didn’t see anyone staring at him nor come towards him, he quickly left, rubbing the back of his head to force the hairs back down. He then headed for his sleeping quarters, thinking heavily about Hux and hearing about Dr. Ekels. He had been surprised to find out that the doctor didn’t just give Mitaka a hard time, but others as well. But how badly did he mistreat his patients? What even made him think it was okay to abuse people? Doctors weren’t supposed to do shit like that!

When Mitaka entered his room, he pulled his cap off and tossed it on his bed before sitting down. He removed his datapad from his pocket, set it on the bedside table, and then got undressed. Sitting up in bed once in his boxers, he grabbed the datapad, turned it on, and created a connection with recipient Gen_Hux.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** _Typing..._

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** Just so you know, I don’t like being cornered and told very vague information about people associated with me doing horrible things to others the way you did earlier this evening.

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** And what are you doing conducting an investigation about my doctor when I TOLD YOU I could handle him myself? And doing it behind my back, no less!

**Gen_Hux:** _Typing..._

**Lt_D_Mitaka:** Don’t you DARE send me a message!

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I am talking here, NOT YOU!

 **Lt_D_Mitaka:** I don’t know what the kriff happened to you after I turned you, but it’s REALLY pissing me off! I am not a CHILD, Hux! I am a grown ass man who can take care of himself! Don’t you EVER go behind my back like that ever again, got it?! It’s kriffing RUDE!

Not wanting to hear anything that Hux had to say, Mitaka shut down his datapad, shoved it in his bedside table drawer and slammed it shut, and then forced himself to his feet to storm into his bathroom to take a shower to calm down. He was in there for a while, still unable to believe the gall of Hux doing something like this without his knowledge. It was kriffing disrespectful!

Twenty minutes later and Mitaka left his bathroom, his towel wrapped around his waist. He was staring at the floor, not yet sensing the uninvited presence in his room.

“Just so you know—”

Mitaka jumped violently at the voice that came out of nowhere. Stepping back hastily and getting into a defensive stance, he looked up, seeing who was there. A look of aggravation passed his facial features.

“Oh for kriffin’ galactic hell, Hux!”

Blinking, Hux continued, “—I didn’t start that investigation because of you.”

Mitaka dropped his arms, looking confused. “What do you mean? I’m the one that told you how much of an asshole Dr. Ekels was! I am the only one he was hard on! Or at least that’s what I kriffing thought!”

“Yes, but I respected your wishes by not dealing with Dr. Ekels, like you asked me not to. It wasn’t until I saw him smack one of his patients unprovoked at a random walk one day that I launched an investigation against him. It was nothing but happenstance that it started. So no, Mitaka, I didn’t crush Dr. Ekels’ windpipe this afternoon because I was defending your honor, but because I wanted to do it for everyone else he _also_ mistreated. You just happened to be one of his victims. It just all fell into place, that’s all. And it was a good thing too, because I am against unnecessary violence, especially against fellow service members of the First Order.”

There was a long pause after this explanation. After thinking on it for a bit, Mitaka relaxed and sighed. “Okay, I understand.” When he remembered the rest of his messages, he became stern again. “That still doesn’t excuse how you told me about the results of the investigation in the hallway before dinner. You could have told me in private instead of putting on a show for anyone who just happened to be walking by at the time. I didn’t appreciate it. In fact, it made me feel very uncomfortable. I can’t imagine what this is doing to Dr. Ekels.”

Hux nodded. “You are right, I’m sorry for telling you in that way. I just wanted you to know as soon as possible what was going on, but I had to save face.”

Giving Hux a look, Mitaka moved to his bed before sitting down. “I accept your apology. But did you _really_ have to hurt him?”

Hux smirked. “I like to think of it as… _payback_ , for all the pain he has caused. He would not think twice about doing it again knowing what I know.”

“Okay.” There was a pause. “So what happens now? Does Ekels still have patients or are we the only two?”

“Yes, he still has patients, but he doesn’t cause them grief, so there was no reason to reassign them. Besides, there are not enough doctors for that. So no, I only took the abused ones out of his care and they have been given five-thousand credits as compensation. They were very grateful for my help.”

Well that was certainly a relief in Mitaka’s mind. He released a heavy breath before smiling at Hux. “Thanks.”

“Of course.”

Mitaka yawned, then scratched at his head with his right hand. “I just hope none of this backfires on anyone.”

“Dr. Ekels would be a fool to do anything revenge worthy, I promise you that,” Hux tried to reassure him. There was another, longer pause. “Well…good night, Mitaka. I will see you tomorrow.”

Turning around, Hux headed for the door. Mitaka watched him start to leave. “Good night to you too, Hux.”

Hux nodded before leaving the room, the door sliding closed and locking behind him. Huffing heavy and hard, Mitaka fell backwards onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Their lives within the First Order was just getting more and more hectic, and he was concerned that it would only get worse from here.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanna give a shout out to my good friend and awesome commenter and reading fan, [ Mirianna](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Mirianna)! Its their birthday today, so enjoy this update!

_Skritch, skritch, skritch, skritch, skritch…!_

It was the middle of the night on Starkiller and the sound of frantic scratching could be heard. In a clearing where a decomposing skeleton laid rest, two anthropomorphic wolves had taken refuge there. The red and orange one was using his back paw to scratch at his furry neck and the base of his tall ear. The black one was crouched against a tree, staring in annoyance at him. He had been going for a very long time now and the noise was grating. The black werewolf growled at him in warning. Stopping mid-scratch, the red one glanced at him while keeping his paw in the air. Seeing the look on the werewolf’s face caused him to quickly drop it back to the ground.

Mitaka jerked his head away as he snorted, which sounded more like a weird growl. Hux rolled his eyes as he looked to the right, using his left hand-paw to scratch at the itch instead. The noise returned, but it was less annoying now.

“…HARK!”

“ARP!”

Apparently Mitaka was more sensitive to the din, because he had attacked Hux with his mouth, piercing his flesh with his teeth. They both rolled to the right, Mitaka landing on top of Hux to keep a hold of his neck. The red werewolf whimpered as he was successfully pinned. Mitaka growled against his neck, biting a little harder, but drawing only a bit of blood. He just wanted the itching to stop so that he didn’t have to hear anymore scratching!

When Hux stayed down, Mitaka parted his jaws and then stood up, aiming his paw for Hux’s side. The red werewolf yelped again, quieter this time, as he rolled onto his back, staring up at the sky with his hand-paws hanging in the air above his chest. Mitaka stepped over to him, towering over him and growling. Hux instantly threw his arms around his head, whimpering in fear of being hit. Forcing air out of his nose seconds later, Mitaka turned around and returned to his spot, sitting back down. He stared at Hux, who cautiously lowered his arms, glanced at the black werewolf, and then rolled over to get on all fours. He shook his entire body, forcing snow to fly everywhere. Releasing a growling bark, Mitaka slammed his hand-paws over his ears to muffle the sounds of swishing fur and splattering snow.

No longer in the mood to be around his annoyed companion, Hux walked away on all fours for a few feet before standing up and walking away. Once the paw-steps faded away, Mitaka lowered his hands and growled in content. Maybe now he could have some much needed peace and quiet.

A long time passed by where nothing happened and the silence was deafening. Mitaka had his eyes closed with his head drooped forward, having his arms folded over his furry chest while he rested. All of a sudden, his head snapped up and his eyes opened before he sniffed the air. He perked up when a strange scent filled his nose. Scrambling to get on all fours, he leaped forward and then began to run at inhuman speed. He easily weaved in and out of the thicket of trees, his mind solely on the smell. Within minutes, he rushed through a thick grove of them, not looking closely before rushing out. Mitaka’s eyes widened in fearful surprise when he saw nothing but black sky. Quickly looking down, he didn’t have time to stop before his front paws left the ground and he fell head over heels. Opening his mouth wide, he howled loud and long.

Meanwhile, having taken the time to clean his neck of blood at the creek, Hux cupped his hand-paws in the hole he made and was about to take a drink when he heard a faint noise in the distance. Stopping mid-lift, he perked up, his ears coming forward to decipher what it could possibly be. His eyes widened when he figured it out. Instincts kicking in, Hux let off a bark before getting on all fours and running in the direction of the frightening sound. He was almost as fast as Mitaka and he was able to weave more fluidly due to his slightly thinner build. He jerked his gaze back and forth in hopes of finding the black werewolf, but in his gut, he knew he was in trouble. Hopefully Hux would reach him before it was too late.

Hux ran for a long time, barking and howling for Mitaka to hear, but he didn’t receive a response back. Worry filled him. Where was that black-furred jerk at?

Hux soon stopped, panting with his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He strained his ears in hopes of getting some clue to Mitaka’s whereabouts, but the only sound was that of the wind and his steamy breath. Sucking his tongue back in, he forced himself to stop breathing momentarily before panting again. Whimpering after realizing how alone he was, Hux continued on his way, this time at a leisurely stroll. He took the time to sniff the ground and air for Mitaka’s scent as he went. When he caught a strong whiff to his right, he turned in that direction and continued walking, sniffing the ground the whole time. It didn’t take long before he came upon some tracks that were werewolf tracks. He sniffed them very fast and concluded that they belonged to Mitaka. Lifting his head back up, Hux inhaled deeply, getting an even stronger scent. Throwing his head back to howl, he returned to running, hoping he was not too late.

* * *

“AROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

A few loose chunks of rock fell from the side of a cliff that had a ninety foot drop off. At the bottom was heavy snow-covered rocks and boulders that had fallen in a landslide a long time ago. Laying stomach first on a pretty big one was Mitaka, who was unmoving. He was draped over the rock, his arms and legs hanging over the edges. When the sound of Hux’s howl reached his location, his eyes fluttered open and he whimpered. Slowly, he moved his arms back, placed his hand-paws on it, and then tried to get up off the rock. Pain spread all the way down his chest and stomach after smashing into it so hard. Luckily nothing was broken.

With a hard heave, Mitaka forced himself off the boulder, rolling after hitting the ground. He curled up on his side in a ball, whining. He didn’t remember what happened to him to be down here, but his paws and spine ached pretty badly. He laid out in the snow for a long time to rest and for the werewolf gene to help heal his injuries. Eventually fresh snow began to drift down from the sky and start to cover him. Mitaka shivered, which forced him to curl up tighter. After a while, he opened his eyes partway, a weak whimper escaping him.

Mitaka quickly forced his eyes closed and he laid absolutely still when he heard more rocks fall behind him. There was a strong possibility that a dangerous creature was close-by. Perhaps they wouldn’t see him since it was so dark and his fur blended in with it.

“Errr…ark!”

Freezing up, Mitaka chanced a glance up the cliff with one eye partly open. His gaze couldn’t reach the top unless he moved his head, but he didn’t want to risk it. He sniffed weakly, not wanting his breath to show, but he relaxed when he caught the rancid rain scent high above. Turning his head, he opened his eyes and looked towards the top of the cliff. It was difficult to see, even with his enhanced eyesight, but the outline was very familiar. Relief washed over him when he figured out who it was.

On all fours, Hux paced back and forth as he stared down the cliff, barely able to see Mitaka far below. If it wasn’t for his scent, he wouldn’t have known that it was indeed him. But how had he gotten down there in the first place? Had he fallen or climbed his way down? Hux whimpered and whined, trying to find out the best way to get down from here. Stopping, he growled and then barked towards the ground. There was a long pause before he got a bark back. His ears drooped down as he whined. Mitaka wasn’t doing so well.

Shaking himself after his worry filled him to the brim, Hux turned sideways at the cliff’s edge, dug his claws into the rock below his hand-paws, and then lowered his back paw down, testing the rocks to see if they were smooth or provided good gripping for his paws. When there was just enough, he began to make his way down, going very slowly to be on the safe side. He couldn’t risk falling, otherwise they would both be too injured to climb back up.

At the bottom of the cliff, Mitaka was relaxed as he continued to lay there. His body still hurt, but the pain had dulled down immensely while he waited for Hux to get down. The red werewolf was making good progress at this point. He glanced back to see how far he had gotten. The ground was at least forty feet away now. He could be all the way at the bottom in ten minutes if he continued his pace.

What felt like forever later, Hux turned and dropped down, landing in a crouch on all fours. He stood up, shook himself and flexed his hand-paws that had been gripping the cliff tightly, then turned to Mitaka. The black werewolf was sitting up now and he had a hand-paw to his throbbing chest. He probably fractured his sternum from the fall, but it would heal before the night was done. Looking up, he saw Hux staring down at him, emotionless and blinking. Placing his hands on the ground, Mitaka looked down at his partly bent legs, a hard breath coming out of his nose.

“I know, I’m an idiot,” is probably what Mitaka would think of if he had the ability to, but he knew what being disappointed in himself felt like, so he didn’t need words. Hux could probably smell it on him anyway.

Crouching down, Hux lowered his body towards the ground, dipped his head, and then gently head-butted Mitaka in the shoulder. The black werewolf glowered at him, not liking the affection much. Lifting his face to get a good look at him, Hux wagged his tail as a faint smile appeared on his face. Mitaka blinked at him a few times, not knowing what else to do as they stared longingly at each other.

Finally tearing his eyes away from Hux’s face, Mitaka lowered his head and leaned forward until he pressed the top of it to the red werewolf’s chest. He inhaled deeply while closing his eyes. Hesitantly, Hux lifted his right hand-paw and placed it on the back of Mitaka’s head in between his ears. He then ran it through the bit of fluff that he had, petting him. His smile got a little wider when Mitaka growled affectionately.

Yawning, Mitaka maneuvered his body around to lean against Hux’s, snuggling up against him. Hux seemed surprised over it since he remembered the last time he was with Mitaka, but he just went with it. Maybe Mitaka had had a change of heart since their last encounter. Maybe it had something to do with that sensation bubbling up inside his belly?

With his legs getting tired from being bent so long, Hux sat down while wrapping his arms loosely around Mitaka, letting him sit in between his legs. His hand-paws were holding his arm and he gently kneaded his fingers into his fur. Mitaka growled affectionately again, and then he gently licked the front of Hux’s neck with his thick tongue. Hux appeared taken aback. What had that been for? Maybe it was another affection thing? Boy, Mitaka was certainly full of surprises tonight, wasn’t he?

With exhaustion from his plummet taking its toll, Mitaka drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face in Hux’s arms. The red and orange werewolf looked out into the distance, his fingers still kneading Mitaka’s arm. The black werewolf snuggled up even closer in his sleep, snoring softly. Hux soon laid his head down on Mitaka’s shoulder, his chest heaving as he breathed deeply with his nose.

The rest of the night would feel like it would last forever, but Hux wouldn’t have it any other way, so long as he had Mitaka by his side, always.

* * *

The songs of chirping birds traveled through the trees, while the sun provided some warmth across the forest floor. Icicles were dripping from branches and bits of snow fell at random intervals. It seemed that today would turn out to be a nice day.

At the bottom of a cliff, two nude men were laying curled up on the ground. Since it was morning, Hux and Mitaka had reverted back to normal. Hux was behind Mitaka, his arms wrapped around Mitaka’s arms and chest. Their knees were bent as they spooned in their deep sleep.

A few minutes later, Hux’s eyes tightened and quivered before fluttering open. He was only vaguely aware that he was pressed up against something, but he was still half asleep to notice what it was. He felt strangely warm despite the sun not reaching his position yet. His eyes closed again and he drifted off a bit, but something cold landed on the side of his face, rousing him up. Inhaling harshly through his nose as he stretched out his neck, he rolled partway on his back to look around. He figured out it was morning pretty quick, but where was the sun? He couldn’t see it even though he could tell it was around.

“Mmh, where-?”

As he looked higher up, Hux didn’t yet notice what was off about this morning, but his sight soon adjusted. He blinked a few times, looking stoic still, but then he startled lightly. How had he gotten to the bottom of a cliff? What in galactic hell happened last night?

“Rgh…H-Hux?”

Jumping at the voice beside him, Hux rolled back over on his side, coming face-to-face with Mitaka. He jumped again in frightened surprised. “Kriff, Mitaka!”

Rolling onto his back, Mitaka looked around in confusion. “Where…are we?” As he looked at Hux, he finally noticed how close they were. Mitaka frowned. “Why are you…laying next to me?”

“That’s a good question.”

Closing his eyes tightly, Mitaka slowly lifted himself off the ground, growling weakly in aching pain. He placed a hand to his chest, feeling most of the pain there. “Why does my chest feel like it was rammed by a space pod?”

Hux took a look at his chest and saw that there was light bruising all over. “You’re bruised.”

Lowering his hand, Mitaka looked at his chest, seeing the faint purple and yellow coloration on his skin. “Huh, I’ll be damned.”

“Perhaps it has something to do with us being at the bottom of a cliff,” Hux suggested.

Mitaka looked at him in confusion. “The bottom of a-” Stopping, he looked upward, his eyes widening slightly. “What? Wh-Why are we at the bottom of a cliff?!”

Hux shook his head. “I have no idea.”

Groaning, Mitaka carefully pushed himself up onto his feet. “I-I hate…not knowing what happens during our transformations…”

‘ _You and me both,’_ Hux thought.

Mitaka stretched and took a deep breath before dropping his arms and relaxing. Because of the surprise at finding themselves at the bottom of a high cliff, Mitaka forgot all about waking up beside Hux and turned to face the wall in thought.

“I’m not sure I can climb something like this without rock climbing gear,” he said a minute later. He looked at Hux. “What about you?”

Hux shook his head. “I don’t have enough upper body strength.”

Dropping his head, Mitaka sighed heavily. “Great. Now how are we supposed to get back?”

“We will figure something out.”

They stayed there for a bit, trying to figure out the best course of action. Hux was still on the ground, sometimes thinking back to how he had found themselves that morning. Something flashed in his mind: him holding Mitaka to his body on the ground. Had they really fallen asleep like that?

“Uh, Hux?”

Coming out of his thoughts, Hux looked at Mitaka out of the corner of his eye. “Hm?”

Mitaka pointed to something out of view. Curious, Hux stood up and turned to look where he was pointing. His brow quickly furrowed in annoyance. On one section of the cliff was a pathway that wound up to the top.

“Well, we should hurry on back,” Mitaka said. “I’m not really in the mood to be naked for much longer. Plus, my body hurts. I want to lay in my comfortable bed after whatever happened last night as soon as possible.” Hux didn’t say anything. Yawning, Mitaka stretched his right arm above his head as he headed for the trail. The ginger stared after him, transfixed for some reason. Something was bubbling up in his gut the longer he stared. He still remembered waking up to spooning with Mitaka. “Hux, are you coming?”

Hux blinked, the feeling vanishing as he saw Mitaka looking back at him after he had stopped a few feet up the cliff. Sighing, Hux nodded before stepping after him, wishing he understood why he felt like this towards Mitaka.

For the next several minutes the two werewolves headed up the cliff, winding up and up and up far too many times for Hux’s liking. He was almost getting dizzy because of it. They soon reached the top, needing to take a breather since they had to travel inclines at random spots. When they were feeling fine again, they continued on their way, Mitaka sniffing the air to locate their space pod.

They found the pod half an hour later. Going to one side, Mitaka sat down, picked up the voice receiver, and then sent a signal up to the Finalizer. He had to wait a while before Dr. Ekels picked up.

“ _I’ll be there in fifteen,”_ he said curtly before hanging up.

Moving the receiver back, Mitaka blinked wide eyes at it, wondering what that tone was all about. Hux placed his arm to the left of the hatch while leaning in.

“What’s wrong?”

Shaking his head, Mitaka put the receiver back on its cradle. “Nothing.”

Nodding, Hux lowered his arm and moved away to get some exercise in. His own body ached, but that was because he figured they had been asleep on the hard ground for hours. Mitaka stayed in the pod, pulling his discarded shirt on. Before they had transformed last night, they stowed away their clothing inside the pod for safekeeping and to get dressed if they wanted to the following morning. He also slipped his underwear on, having to lift his butt off the seat to pull them over his cheeks. He then sat back down and leaned back, closing his eyes to rest while they waited.

As Hux walked around, hundreds upon thousands of thoughts were running in his head. There was so much he had to do in the next several weeks when it came to the First Order. There were preparations for the Stormtrooper armies that had to be completed, a bunch of files and reports that he had to sort through for their records and the Archives was backed up on his datapad, inspections and repairs for TIE Fighters, machinery, and the different militant groups, and finally there was that top secret mission that was still ongoing and was taking up too much of their time and resources. All of these responsibilities as the head of the Order were like a constant cloud hanging over Hux’s head and he felt like he couldn’t get a break.

As he turned back to the pod, Hux took a few steps before he stopped, blinking. In the seat, Mitaka had fallen back to sleep. Hux’s eyes narrowed tiredly at him. That feeling he always seemed to get when it came to his Lieutenant kept coming back to him when he looked at him. He had been suffering through it for over a month, so the fact that he still couldn’t figure out what it was annoyed the ever-living _kriff_ out of him.

Shaking his head to try getting rid of it from his mind, Hux turned and walked away to wait for the transport ship to arrive, still unable to take his mind off Mitaka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update: TBA (I still have to write the smut for chapter 14, so I can't update again until its done. Frustrating I know! Picturing smut is easy, actually writing it is hard lmao. Also, WRITERS BLOCK, PEOPLE! It kills your imagination!)


	13. Chapter 13

A few days came and went since Hux and Mitaka’s second transformation night. Hux had become rather reserved since that following morning and he hardly saw Mitaka at all. The Lieutenant hadn’t really noticed since he was so busy with work. Besides, he knew Hux’s senses were completely under control now, so it wasn’t like they needed to be around each other much anymore. He did miss their chats on their datapads though.

After his final shift one evening, petty officer Thanisson approached Mitaka with a smile. “Hey, Lieutenant Mitaka, I was wondering if you were planning to go to dinner?”

Mitaka pocketed his datapad. “I was considering taking it back to my room.”

“Oh. Never mind then, I guess.”

Hearing the faint dejected tone in his voice, Mitaka looked at Thanisson blankly and saw the look on his face that provided proof of his feelings. “Now hold on a minute. Why are you asking?” Thanisson didn’t answer. Turning, Mitaka stared somewhat sternly at him. “Why are you asking me about dinner, Thanisson?”

There was a pause, but then Thanisson sighed. “Because I’ve been feeling rather lonely lately since I haven’t really made any friends since joining the First Order. You’re just always so nice and chill all the time, so I figured hanging out at dinner would be okay with you. But I guess you would rather retire to your quarters for the night, so forget I asked.”

Before Mitaka could say anything else, Thanisson walked past him with his gaze lowered to the floor and walked off. Mitaka quickly turned around to face him.

“Thanisson, hold up.” Stopping at the opening doorway, Thanisson looked back at Mitaka over his shoulder. The Lieutenant stopped behind him. “Would you like to go to dinner with me?”

A look of bewilderment appeared on Thanisson’s face. He then beamed. “Yes sir, of course I do! That’s very thoughtful of you to ask.”

Mitaka couldn’t help but smile at Thanisson’s enthusiasm. “Alright, let’s go before the best stuff is taken.”

They walked out of the room and entered the corridor. They talked about their work day on the way and how things had been going for them lately. Thanisson also brought up that rumor about Hux making some amazing speech soon, and he just seemed so excited over the whole idea. Mitaka couldn’t understand such enthusiasm over something that might not even be real, but it made Thanisson happy. However, bringing Hux into the conversation seemed odd to Mitaka and he couldn’t understand why.

“How is the General doing?” Thanisson asked when they reached the door to the mess hall.

Mitaka chuckled, but in his mind, he was getting rather annoyed. “What is it with your fascination with Hux and I anyway?”

They grabbed their plates and got into line. Thanisson shrugged.

“I don’t know, you two just seem weirdly close these days.” A wry grin appeared on Thanisson’s face. “Does Lieutenant Mitaka have a crush on the General?”

Mitaka laughed. “What?! Of course not! What makes you think that?”

“I’m just joking, sir,” Thanisson said as they continued filling their plates with food. Reaching the end of the line, they grabbed silverware and napkins before heading for an empty table. “But I will admit, people _are_ talking about the two of you a lot. You know, gossip stuff.”

They both sat down, sitting on opposite sides of each other. Mitaka picked up his knife and fork to start cutting at his slab of medium-rare meat. “If Hux ever got word of all that, I think we’d lose a good portion of the First Order.”

Thanisson frowned as he worked on his salad first. “What do you mean?”

“Remember that holovid he showed all of us near the beginning of our recruitment to the Finalizer? You know, when he catapulted those service members out into deep space to die a slow and painful death because they nearly killed one of their own on the ship?”

“Oh, right. That was kriffed up.”

“Well, I think he would want to throw these gossipers out the airlock just to prove a point.” Thanisson smiled sheepishly, although it was very faint. Of course, for Mitaka, he could see it quite clearly. He also sensed that maybe Thanisson wasn’t very fond of the memory. “Why did you join the First Order?”

Thanisson was surprised by the question. “Wow, um, well, it wasn’t really my first choice, you know? But my family is…very particular on how the galaxy is run, you see.” There was a short pause. “What about you? Why did you join?”

Looking at his plate, Mitaka stabbed another piece of meat onto his fork. “I didn’t really have much of a choice either.”

“How come?”

Mitaka finished his bite before answering. “I graduated at the top of my class and the Supreme Ruler thought I’d be a great asset to the Order. I haven’t really done much to show for it, but I figure once the order is more well known and the Republic starts taking us seriously, then I can prove myself.”

Thanisson nodded before eating more of his dinner. Meanwhile, General Hux was in his office, having his forehead on his arms as he laid over his desk. His door was locked, so no one would see the vulnerable position he was in if they decided to stop by. Ever since the last transformation, he felt stranger and stranger in his own body, and he didn’t know why. It was a terrible sensation, one that was making him crack under the pressure. He wasn’t as busy as he would like to be, so he was very aware of the feeling growing from the pit of his stomach and up into his chest. Maybe he was being internally attacked by a virus?

‘ _Yes, a virus of mythical proportions,’_ Hux thought bitterly. This was all because of that werewolf gene, he knew. It just seemed to change more and more as time went on. But what triggered it? _‘You already know the kriffing trigger!’_

Growling, Hux lifted his head off his arms just enough to move them aside, and then slammed his forehead on the surface of the desk. Great, now he was talking to himself. He just _had_ to leave his quarters that fateful night two months ago…

Even after all this time, Hux never blamed Mitaka for this. Unlike Dr. Ekels, the General knew that it was the fault of the only conscious person at the time: himself. During both transformations he had nothing but blank memories of those nights, as if he had been asleep instead of roaming the snowy plains of Starkiller. His experiences kept reminding him how it was not Mitaka’s fault. In his werewolf form, he was mindless and went by instincts alone. Hux didn’t _have to_ go out on curfew night, but Mitaka _had to_ turn into the beast. There was just no getting around those cold hard facts.

Hux soon sighed while turning his head sideways to stare across the room. He looked and felt exhausted as all galactic hell. This was far from who he was as a person. Unless he figured out what was wrong with his insides, he didn’t think he could do this. He had to know what was going on. But who could he talk about this with? He suddenly groaned at the obvious answer. Mitaka, of course. If Hux’s situation was werewolf-related, then who better to ask than a werewolf who had been one for twenty years? Hux just needed to locate him first.

Sitting up and picking up his datapad, Hux turned it on, typed in his password, and then opened his messaging app. He started typing in recipient Lt_D_Mi, then it auto-filled in the rest for him. Wanting to talk face-to-face with Mitaka, he typed in that he wanted to see him to talk to him about important matters.

 **Gen_Hux:** Where are you? I will meet you there.

Hux sent his second message and then began to wait for the _Typing..._ status to appear. So there he waited. And waited, and waited, and waited, and oh look, waited some more! Still the status refused to appear and by now Hux was getting impatient, yet another habit he only started falling into when it came to Mitaka and being a werewolf.

Minutes passed, but Hux never received a response. Feeling very irritated now, he turned the screen off before smacking himself in the forehead with the datapad. What in the ever galactic hell was Mitaka doing that was so much more important than Hux’s troubles?

“Oh kriff it!”

Forcing himself to his feet, Hux set the datapad down, threw on his long coat after yanking it off the back of his chair, and then pocketed the datapad before heading out. He slammed his hand on the lock button to unlock the door when he reached it and then stepped out into the corridor. Ignoring anyone who was there or looking his way, he sniffed the air in search of Mitaka’s scent. He had yet to learn how to filter out every scent he picked up so that he could just pinpoint his Lieutenant’s location, but it wasn’t too hard to miss. Wood smoke and pine had a very interesting taste to it when he inhaled.

Hux soon reached the mess hall, where the scent was strongest. He nearly smacked himself in the head, but he refrained to avoid anyone staring weirdly at him. Of _course_ Mitaka would be here. He never missed a meal when the pickings were good. Calming himself down so that no one thought he frantically came here, Hux gently pushed open the door and stepped inside, letting the door swing slowly shut. The mess hall was full of Stormtroopers, some doctors and scientists, and other military officials. The scents were very overwhelming, especially when you added all the different foods to the mix. Stopping at least five feet from the door, Hux looked around, trying to spot Mitaka in the crowds.

Hux soon spotted Mitaka sitting alone with someone. They were talking away as they ate and he was able to hear part of what they were saying. Thanisson had just told Mitaka a hilarious joke that made the Lieutenant laugh contentedly. As they continued to talk and enjoy each others’ company, Mitaka smiling and laughing almost the entire time, a pain struck Hux in the chest and for a moment he thought that perhaps he was having a heart attack. It got increasingly worse when Thanisson reached forward during a breathtaking laughing fit and grabbed Mitaka’s arm that had been on the table when he could hardly stay up from laughing. Without him noticing, Hux gritted his teeth, a weak growl forming in his throat. His fingers curled into fists and he felt sharp nails biting into his skin despite the gloves he wore. Hux was starting to see red the longer he stared at the two.

“General, calm down.” Hearing the almost unnoticeable voice, the redness Hux saw in his vision vanished and he came face-to-face with Dr. Ekels, who was staring sternly at him. Since what he had been seeing was replaced by the doctor’s face, the pain in his chest ebbed away and his mouth and hands relaxed. The man was frowning. “Are you alright?”

Fully out of his trance, Hux closed his eyes to shake his head hard, wondering what had caused him to react that way. As Ekels tried to get him turned around to leave, Hux yanked his arm away while turning a few degrees.

“ _Don’t_ touch me,” he nearly snarled.

Dr. Ekels took a step back while lifting his hands in surrender. “My apologies, General. But maybe you should walk away now…”

Snorting, Hux turned the rest of the way around and headed off. Dr. Ekels watched him go, an eerie smile appearing on his face after a few seconds. He too left, keeping a mental note on what he just witnessed.

By the end of dinner, Mitaka was ready to hit the hay for the rest of the night. He said good night to Thanisson, thanked him for giving him a good laugh, and then headed through the Finalizer to reach his tier of the living quarters. As he inhaled, he caught Hux’s scent, somehow finding the route he was taking. Not thinking anything of it, he kept walking towards his room, yawning. He soon made it there and he walked inside, barely getting the chance to sense that his room wasn’t empty.

“HEY!” Mitaka was slammed into his wall by the door and he felt a tight grip on his arms. Before he opened his eyes, which he had shut when he growled at the rough treatment, he heard a menacing growl that was more animal-like than human. Mitaka jerked his head up and he looked surprised when he saw who had him pinned. Anger and confusion crossed his face. “What the kriff, Hux?!”

Mitaka suddenly froze up when he sensed and saw something else. His mouth was partway open and his eyes were slightly wide. Hux was staring at him with anguish, his eyes holding a wild look to them. His pupil that was fluctuating between round and a slit was trembling, which was never a good sign. Mitaka could tell something was really wrong with him. The tightening grip on his arms and feeling sharp claws against his skin through his uniform was also another indicator.

Hux growled pathetically as he stared at Mitaka. Spreading all the way through his body felt like fire and he heard his fast beating heart in his ears. He was gritting his teeth so hard that it was a miracle he didn’t shatter them. He also seemed to have lost the ability to speak. After a while, he closed his eyes tight and he would have collapsed to his knees had he not had a death grip on Mitaka’s arms. They were really starting to hurt, but the Lieutenant dared not move suddenly. He swallowed hard, lifting one hand and gently grabbing Hux’s arm.

“H-Hux, calm down-GUUH!”

With a snarl, Hux had thrown Mitaka to the floor after yanking him hard from the wall. Using his fast reflexes, the Lieutenant shoved his body onto all fours and scrambled away. His eyes widened when he heard a thud and his ankle was caught in a deadly grip. A cry of surprise escaped him when Hux yanked him back and around, forcing his body in between Mitaka’s legs. Panicking, Mitaka quickly kicked his free foot into Hux’s face, making him howl in pain from having his face smashed by a hard boot. He landed on his back before he rolled onto his side, clawing at his face. Jumping to his feet, Mitaka ran over to Hux and forced him onto his stomach before landing on top of him and digging his knee into his spine. Hux thrashed around and clawed frantically at the floor, trying to buck him off.

“Stop it, Hux!” Mitaka had his hands pressed down on Hux's shoulders, trying to stop him from moving as much as possible, but with the violent nature that Hux had fallen into, it was difficult. “Snap out of it, dammit!” Hux continued to thrash around and was leaving deep marks in the floor and it took all of Mitaka’s strength to keep him down. What had gotten into him? “Hux _please_!”

As soon as he heard the pleading tone, Hux stopped, panting heavily with a hint of a growl to it. His face was covered in sweat and he was burning up all over. He whimpered after some time.

“M-Mitaka, h-help…me…”

Mitaka was fearful at the grating tone in Hux’s usually smooth, fluid voice. There were few cases where this happened, but it wasn’t a good thing. Hux was halfway between human and beast, but the beast was overpowering that half tenfold. Mitaka didn’t know how he could help since he didn’t quite know what was happening to him. Why was the beast trying to take over?

 _Just like real wolves and other animals, werewolves, both beast and human form, will go through times of heat, in which the beast tries to take over the human brain and nervous system. It can happen at any time, but in some cases, being in heat is triggered by over-stressing, when the werewolf has picked another for courtship, or when a drastic change happens. Being in heat can cause your innards to feel like they are being consumed by the Devil’s fire. To avoid all of these, keep a level head and don’t try to become or become attached to_ _**anyone** _ _._

Mitaka gritted his teeth at the memory, having forgotten about the shaman’s lesson. He felt ashamed at himself for what he had created. “Oh Hux…” he whined.

Hux growled again, his eyes wet from straining his wild eyes for so long. He tried to push Mitaka off of him again, but he was feeling too weak. His body was trembling from the heat still internally consuming his body.

“M-Mitaka…wh-what is…w-wrong with…me…?”

Swallowing, Mitaka responded with his own question. “Do you feel like you’re on fire?”

“Y-Yes, why-?”

Mitaka sighed. “You’re in heat, Hux. It happens to werewolves sometimes…”

“H-How…?”

“It can be triggered by huge amounts of stress, when you have chosen a mate and you want to court them, or if something drastic happens. I don’t know how any of these would apply to you, but-”

“Th-Tha-Than-”

“What?” Growling, Hux grabbed his head with his hands. Mitaka saw that his fingernails had grown several inches and were sharp and deadly. “Hux, try to take deep breaths. You have to calm yourself down-”

Hux inhaled sharply before blurting out, “Thanson!”

Mitaka’s brow furrowed. “Thanson? Who or what is Than-? Oh!” Hux growled, shifting again in another miserable attempt at getting Mitaka off. Mitaka let out an exhausted sigh. “You saw me and Thanisson…”

“ _OFFFF_!”

Acting quickly, Mitaka pressed more of his weight against Hux when he got a surge of strength. His voice was now that of the beast, not a hint of his human voice anywhere. “I said calm down!”

“ _NO_!”

“Whoa!” Mitaka was suddenly flipping over Hux, crashing onto his back and smacking the backs of their heads together. “Rffff-OWWW!”

Quickly rolling, Mitaka grabbed the back of his pained head, rocking back and forth frantically. Placing his clawed hands down, Hux pushed his upper body off the floor and lifted his head, growling at him. The wild look in his eyes had gotten worse and they flashed. With a snarling growl, he jumped at Mitaka, body slamming on top of him.

With Fight or Flight kicking in, Mitaka tried to fight back against Hux, shoving and kicking and even punching him to get him off. They wrestled hard with hostility. Mitaka had never fought with another werewolf before, so he didn’t know what to expect or knew who was stronger. He most certainly hoped it was himself since he was twenty years old in werewolf years. Would excessive amounts of experience win, or Hux being in heat?

They were lucky the colossal ship was completely soundproof because they were making an awfully loud racket as they slammed into furniture and made fighting and werewolf sounds. Soon, Mitaka’s claws were also out, but he was getting exhausted, so they were only coming out as a last resort. If he didn’t do something fast, there was no telling what Hux would do in this state.

“HA-ARRK!”

“GRAAAAAA!”

Currently on his back, Mitaka threw his head back as he snarled in pain. Hux had pierced his neck with his werewolf fangs and teeth, sinking in deep. Raising one clawed hand, the Lieutenant slashed Hux underneath his jaw. Hux’s teeth came free and he howled in pain as his head jerked away at an angle. With the last bit of strength he could muster, Mitaka forced their bodies to roll over, curled his hand into a fist, and then swiftly brought it down on Hux’s head.

“ _A-ARP_!”

Breathing heavily in both exhaustion and fright, Mitaka shoved his body away from Hux as the man collapsed to the floor, and then scrambled up and backwards onto his feet. He quickly turned and ran around his bed, slamming himself down and backing up into it. On the other side, he heard Hux whimper and whine from nearly getting his lights punched out. Soon, all was quiet except for Mitaka’s heavy breathing.

Half a minute passed with nothing happening, so Mitaka decided to chance a peek at what Hux was doing right now. He dragged his fatigued body to the corner of his bed and cautiously looked around it, flinching back instantly. His face turned terribly pale at what he had seen Hux doing.

“H-Hux, are you okay?!” Mitaka flattened himself to the side of his bed after Hux snarled in warning. “Kriffing _hell_ , Hux! Do you _have_ to do that in _my_ room?!”

“Grrng, sh-shut…u-up!”

It didn’t take long for Hux to cry out, causing Mitaka to slam his hands against his ears. “Seriously?!”

“…I-I…c-couldn’t, h-help it…”

Mitaka relaxed only slightly at the weakened voice. Slowly, he lowered his hands from his ears, looking ashamed. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry…” There was a long time of silence after that. Mitaka sighed heavily. “What even happened, Hux? Why did Thanisson trigger this? You’ve never even talked to him…”

Hux remained silent for some time. Mitaka waited patiently, just wanting to understand. He then heard Hux sigh.

“I wanted- I went to find you because I needed to ask you something important. I saw the two of you at dinner and I…I Just snapped. I don’t…really remember much after that…”

Mitaka’s eyes shifted back and forth a few times as he stared at the floor. Lifting his gaze and turning his head at a slight angle to the left, he asked, “What had you wanted to ask me?”

“…I wanted to know if you have ever felt what I feel,” Hux whispered. Releasing a breath, he leaned back against Mitaka’s bed, staring up at the ceiling with narrowed, tired eyes. He soon closed them to rest. “Something has been growing inside of me, Mitaka, something that is only triggered whenever I’m with you. I don’t know what it is, but its been killing me for a while now. So I wanted to know if you have been feeling something that you hadn’t before, or if I’m the only one…”

Hux trailed off, unsure of what else to say. He had said it all. Meanwhile, Mitaka was staring at the floor from the side, replaying what Hux said in his head. It was a long time before he answered.

“No, Hux, I haven’t felt a thing…” For some reason, that had been very painful to say. Curling up and closing his eyes tightly, thick tears pushed their way out of the outer corners of Mitaka’s eyes. “D-Damn you, Hux…! Kriffing damn you!”

Lowering himself down almost fully to the floor, Mitaka hung his head and pressed his hands to his eyes as he cried. His shoulders were trembling. At the front of the bed, Hux was staring at the ceiling as he listened to Mitaka sob and cry on his own. His own, narrowed eyes were wet again, but he was too strong to fully cry. After some time, he turned his head in Mitaka’s direction, blinking. Mitaka’s sobbing had quieted down and he was sniffing constantly. Hux heard him swallow before sniffing hard again.

Hux’s brow furrowed as he got either a good idea or a very stupid one. Rolling his body over, he used the bed to help him to his feet, walked quietly around to the other side of the bed, and stepped in front of Mitaka. He stared down at him with a blank face, his ruined gloved hands turning into fists briefly. Before the Lieutenant could look up, Hux dropped into a crouch, grabbed around Mitaka’s neck with both hands, being mindful of the bite punctures that weren’t bleeding anymore thanks to the werewolf gene, and then quickly lifted his head before pressing his lips to his mouth. Mitaka reeled for a moment once he realized he was kissing another man, something he hadn’t even thought of doing before now. His eyes widened in shocked surprise, his heart thumping loudly and hard in his chest.

Once he was feeling satisfied, Hux pulled back a few inches, staring into Mitaka’s frightened eyes. “I am sorry.”

There was an unsettling pause, and then, before either of them knew it, they were kissing madly, Hux pushing hard against Mitaka as the Lieutenant dug his fingers into his shoulders and collar bone. Hux dug his fingers into his close-cropped hair at the base of his cranium. He soon lowered down to his knees, putting some pressure on Mitaka’s legs as he sat on them. With his other hand, he fumbled to get the Lieutenant’s top off by pushing the bottom up over his stomach. At the same time, Mitaka grabbed a fistful of Hux’s coat around his shoulders and shoved it up and down off his upper arms. Pausing his next rough kiss, Hux pulled his arms out, helped Mitaka throw it back away from him, and then they went back to devouring each others’ mouths.

Everything was just happening so quickly that neither men knew what they were really doing to each other as they helped each other undress. They were gradually running out of breath and their movements were jerky. Stopping with a loud smacking sound, Hux quickly looked down and fumbled for Mitaka’s zipper of his pants. Turning his head to the right, the Lieutenant panted out hot air, feeling a strange heat filling him. Was this what Hux had felt a while ago? Coming to his senses a bit thanks to the flow of oxygen to his lungs, Mitaka looked frantic at Hux.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Hux ignored him as he tried to force the regulation pants off his hips. Growling in aggravation, Mitaka grabbed his hands and pulled them away. Hux looked up at him with a hint of disdain in his eyes. Mitaka was panting as they stared into each others’ eyes. “Y-You’re my…s-superior…officer. W-We can’t do this!”

Wanting to show Mitaka what he thought about this notion currently, Hux shoved his hands into Mitaka's pants and quickly grabbed his cock and balls tightly. Mitaka froze up, his eyes widening and a choking feeling forming in his throat. Hux gritted his teeth at him.

“Fuck the _rules_ ,” he growled out.

An eep came out of Mitaka’s mouth at the harsh tone. What exactly had he gotten himself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update: August 26


	14. Chapter 14

At 0700, Mitaka’s eyes fluttered open and he blinked at the ceiling. His brain was on lockdown, so he wasn’t aware of anything for a while. Inhaling sharply then, he looked left, then right, stopping when he saw a mass beside him. As he stared at the sleeping form of General Hux, last night came flooding back to him in perfect detail…

* * *

After getting his pants down and bunched around his knees, Hux looked down at Mitaka’s lap and gave his balls and penis another squeeze. The Lieutenant closed his eyes while turning his head away, and then lifted his arm to his groaning mouth.

“H-Hux, seriously, w-we shouldn’t-!”

“Stop protesting, that’s an order.”

“Th-That’s not fair…!”

Grabbing a fistful of hair, Hux pulled Mitaka’s head back to force their mouths together. Mitaka groaned behind the kiss, his body quivering at what was happening. He thought he would find this disgusting and wrong, but rather he was almost excited at the prospect of having Hux handle him like this. His hot lips were just so intoxicating.

Hux finished off the kiss with a weak smacking sound before releasing Mitaka’s hair and returning to what he was trying to do. Mitaka gulped in air, forcing himself to just shut down and accept all of this. Butterflies were suddenly flying around his belly. This was really happening, wasn’t it? He was going to be jerked off by his superior officer. How humiliating, and yet-

Closing his eyes and rolling his head back, Mitaka moaned loudly and his body tightened. “Oh Hux…”

It took quite a bit of willpower for Hux to not just devour Mitaka right then and there. He needed to wait, there needed to be a build up before they reached the final stage. So, grabbing Mitaka’s sides, Hux forced him up into a better sitting position, slipped his underwear down to join his pants, and then grabbed his penis in his whole hand, gripping it gently. Mitaka flinched at the contact, feeling somewhat humiliated for it.

“Are you a virgin?”

Mitaka’s eyes snapped open and he looked down at Hux, who was staring at his face. “Th-That’s none of your business!” Hux snorted softly before forcing Mitaka’s knees to bend and spreading them apart to expose him more. The Lieutenant shivered when he felt Hux lower himself down between his legs, lifting his limp cock into the air. There was a second’s pause before he flinched and yelped in surprise. “Kriff, kriff, kriff!”

Lifting his hands, Mitaka placed them on Hux’s shoulders out of reflex. He panted with his eyes closed as he felt a teasing wet tongue tip touch the head of his cock. He moaned and groaned at the jolting, electrical feeling that came with it. He soon gasped and then threw his head to the left at an angle as he clamped his teeth together.

With the help of his tongue, Hux lowered his mouth around Mitaka’s cock, ignoring the gross taste and veins covering it. He closed his mouth around the length and then began to suck gently at first. When he knew it wouldn’t slip out, he lowered his hands, one going to Mitaka’s waist while the other groped his balls, and then began to stimulate them.

“Ha-AH! Ah kriff…!” Mitaka’s hands tightened and loosened on Hux’s shoulders with each suck, but once the head of his cock was at the back of Hux’s throat, he gripped them tightly, holding on. “Ah Hux!”

Jolts of pleasure skyrocketed into Mitaka’s belly and he felt like he would pass out upon his release that was getting ever closer. He had never felt anything else like it and he wanted it to stay. But he also wanted to come; he wanted to come _now_.

When Mitaka thought he was going to ejaculate all the way down Hux’s amazing and hot throat, he whined when the man stopped. “Wah! Wh-Why are you…s-stopping?!” Lifting his head off Mitaka’s shaft, Hux lifted his hand and wiped his moist lips with the back of his wrist. Mitaka lifted his gaze as Hux stood up. When he saw the man moving his hands to the front of his pants, his eyes widened. “W-Wait, you’re not thinking-”

“ _Please_ stop _talking_.”

Mitaka was about to protest, but in one deft move, Hux had forced his already unzipped pants off his waist, making Mitaka stop in surprise at what he saw. Nervousness crept up inside of him.

Hux wasn’t _that_ hung, but compared to Mitaka’s penis, it was pretty big and it was fully erect. Sweat formed on his face and he mouthed “holy shit” at it. He suddenly flinched when Hux moved his hands to his head, grabbing it gently. Mitaka looked up, seeing the blank look on his face.

“I will try to be careful,” Hux muttered as he rubbed his thumb over Mitaka’s temple.

After a hard swallow, Mitaka nodded. “Okay.”

Stepping up against him, Hux led Mitaka’s mouth to his erection, gently running his fingers through his hair to help prepare him for what was to come.

At first when the head touched his lips, Mitaka thought that this was going to end badly with him ending up choking, but as he parted his lips and the tip went in a few centimeters, those thoughts drifted away. It tasted gross at first, but as he got more of his mouth around the hardened length, he got used to it. One of the things he noticed was that it was warm and sweaty, probably that way from when Hux had masturbated a while back as the heat ended. Soon, half of it was in his mouth and Mitaka thought it couldn’t all fit. The grip on his head and hair tightened.

“Erng, s-suck already…”

Mentally apologizing, Mitaka lifted his left hand to grab Hux’s hip close to his ass cheek, closed his lips around the length, and then tried to mimic what Hux had done for him a minute ago. It didn’t take long for his moist mouth and firm sucks to turn Hux into putty. Closing his eyes, Hux growled and nearly thrust forward. He quickly placed one hand on the bed to steady himself. Mitaka made a strange noise that reverberated along his whole length and made him shiver. With his other hand, Hux placed it under Mitaka’s chin and held part of his throat with his fingers to hold his head still. He gently rubbed his supple skin to coax him and relax his throat.

Feeling good enough to continue, Mitaka closed his eyes, placed his other hand around the base at the back of Hux’s leg, and then pulled him closer. A long, delicious moan fell from the General’s lips as he felt the head at the back of Mitaka’s throat.

Mitaka didn’t want to admit it to anyone, but this was his first time sucking cock and he thought he was going to be bad at it, but the erotic noises coming out of Hux’s mouth told him otherwise. He must be doing something right.

‘ _Oh kriff, what in the galactic hell am I doing?!’_

Although Mitaka never much thought about what his sexuality was, he never expected this. But then he remembered something his teacher had told him _not_ to do, no matter what.

 _You cannot keep your change a secret if you become attached to others, so you are better off not forming any kind of relationship with anyone in any non-professional capacity. Nothing_ _**good** _ _can_ _**ever** _ _come from_ _love…_

Mitaka didn’t think love had anything to do with this, but it was the whole reason he had lived a life of celibacy up until this point. Had anyone he had grown attached to learned of what he was, they would no longer treat him the same and/or shun him. So he had stayed away from intimate relationships, as well as platonic ones, his entire werewolf life. No wonder he was so confused about performing oral sex on Hux and figuring out whether he enjoyed it or not. Putting those stupid thoughts behind him seconds later, Mitaka swallowed before continuing his, hopefully accurate, performance.

Staring down at Mitaka while panting, Hux moved his hand on the bed to the back of his head, close to the base, dug his fingers firm, but gently into his hair, and then thrust gently forward. Mitaka almost choked as the head went a few centimeters down his throat, not used to something like this. At least it didn’t make him gag or want to throw up. He didn’t think Hux would appreciate that very much.

“Ern, Doph-” Feeling more confident than in the beginning, Mitaka sucked a little harder, feeling his mouth muscles touching the thick, hard organ. He even made a vibrating sound to test what Hux liked and didn’t like. “Ahn kriff!”

Mitaka was almost surprised that it had been a good choice. That was all the confidence booster he needed now. He could do this again, he was good at it. What a relief!

By now Hux’s legs were trembling as he lost control. He tilted his head back as he moaned in bliss. Mitaka’s mouth was so hot and wet and- _Kriff_ he was ready to let it all go!

“I-I’m…co-”

Hux didn’t get to finish as Mitaka sucked and swallowed at the same time, feeling the ejaculation coming out of the man’s cock and bursting into his mouth and throat almost instantly. He made a choking sound as the warm, sticky liquid went all the way down his throat unexpectedly. Thinking Mitaka couldn’t fully handle it, Hux pulled back just enough to make it go down easier.

It didn’t take long for the last drop of cum to drip out of the tip and land on the back of Mitaka’s tongue. Moving the hand under the chin to his jaw, Hux carefully pried Mitaka’s mouth open and pulled back more. Mitaka could feel the cock slide out and he was finally able to start panting for breath. With a satisfied moan, Hux placed his hands on the bed on either side of Mitaka’s head, moved his right leg over him to join his left, and then forced his body around before plopping down on the floor beside the Lieutenant. They both worked on regaining their breaths before they did something else. Mitaka swallowed one last time before glancing at Hux. His eyes were closed as he rested.

“Hux?”

Opening his eyes, Hux looked at him with a solemn gaze. “Mh?”

“Yes, I am a virgin.”

Hux blinked at him, almost forgetting that he had asked that question earlier. Lifting his hand, he placed it on the side of Mitaka’s head to rub it. “That’s okay.”

Mitaka frowned, although he enjoyed the affection. “You’re not going to ask me why?”

Hux was taken aback by this. “Does it matter?”

“I-”

“There’s nothing wrong with not having sex, Mitaka,” Hux interrupted. “And if anyone tells you otherwise, punch them in the throat.”

An abrupt silence filled the room after that suggestion. Mitaka blinked twice, not knowing how to respond. He soon looked away, a faint smile forming on his face. “Thanks…”

“But if you want to tell me why, then go ahead.”

Mitaka shook his head while looking at Hux. “No, it was a bullshit reason anyway.”

Smirking, Hux leaned in and kissed him firmly on the mouth. “Besides, I quite like being the only one.” Mitaka blushed lightly, making Hux chuckle. Moving his mouth to his ear, he whispered, “Will you let me fuck you, Mitaka?”

Mitaka’s body froze as he blushed so red that it reached his ears and neck. A shiver ran down his spine at the possibility. He swallowed hard. “I-I don’t…I’m not s-sure if I-” He swallowed again and took a deep breath to calm himself before continuing. “I don’t know. I feel…apprehensive about the whole idea in general.”

“What if I promised to be very gentle with you? Would you consider it then?” Mitaka shrugged one shoulder. Smiling, Hux placed his arm around his shoulders, rested his hand on his upper arm, and then leaned him against his side. “We don’t have to. I could always… _imagine_.”

Mitaka flinched when Hux licked his earlobe lightly. “I-I think you’re still in heat.”

“And what makes you think that?”

Mitaka looked at Hux. “Do you always act this way with the people you sleep with?”

“You think I sleep with other people?”

“Well yeah. Have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror?” Mitaka looked away. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you slept with every woman at the Academy.”

“What’s wrong, jealous?”

“N-No!”

Hux chuckled in his ear. “I think you are.”

Getting his pinned right arm free, Mitaka pushed into Hux’s face to get it off the side of his head. His skin had started to get uncomfortably warm from the man’s breath. “So what if I am? How would you remedy that?”

“So is that a yes?” Hux asked with a smirk.

Mitaka glared at him. “Now I didn’t say that.”

“Fine, then I would pick you up like a bride,” Mitaka got a strange look on his face with that one, “lay you down on your bed gently, softly kiss every inch of your body, and just make you as comfortable as possible before I prepare you properly. …You can stop me at any time you know.”

“No, no, keep going. I really want to know how you would stop making me jealous.”

Remembering that Mitaka was still half hard, Hux reached in between his legs, grabbed his dry penis, and began to stimulate it again. “Once you’re wide open, I will slick up my penis with lube, make sure I’m only a little hard before putting it inside of you, and then, finally—” During this whole explanation, Mitaka was panting, groaning, and moaning as Hux helped him reach climax again. His eyes were closed as he imagined all the things the man was saying in his mind. “—I will start out slow to let you get used to me, pick up speed and hardness of my thrusts when you loosen up more, and then, when I am touching your pleasure spot, I will relish in your cries and moans of pleasure when I’m fucking you. Finally, when I come, you will be _begging me_ for more.”

“Oh Hux!”

By the time Hux was done, Mitaka came all over his hand and on the floor in between his legs. Once he was empty, the man released the limp shaft and spoke into his ear again.

“May I fuck you now?” he purred.

Mitaka released a deep, throaty moan. He then nodded frantically. “Y-Yes, yes, I want you to-!”

Having turned Mitaka’s face around, Hux kissed him forcefully since that was all that he needed to hear. After a few seconds, he pulled back, stood up while staying bent over, and then forced his arms under Mitaka’s knees and upper back. Mitaka quickly wrapped his arms around Hux’s neck before he stood up, albeit a little awkwardly. In fact, Hux nearly dropped him because he was heavier than he first thought. There was a pause as he got straightened out, by which time Mitaka started laughing.

“’Snot…f-funny-”

“Yes it is!”

“Oh yeah?” Mitaka stopped laughing abruptly, a “huh?” barely passing his lips before Hux turned and unceremoniously tossed him onto the bed. Mitaka bounced twice and then tried to back up towards the wall, but Hux was on him like a hound to a fresh hunk of meat. “Hold still!”

Before Mitaka could get away, Hux gripped Mitaka’s hips tight with his legs and then started attacking his stomach with his fingers. Immediately, Mitaka started to laugh uncontrollably since he was so ticklish.

“No, stop, n-not…f-fair!”

Mitaka squirmed futilely in an attempt to get free, but Hux was relentless. He tickled Mitaka for at least a minute before pressing his body to him and forcing their mouths together in a passionate kiss. Mitaka giggle-snorted into it since he had still been laughing, but then he kissed back because it felt good. He could get used to such affection. When the room was calm once more, Hux lifted his body off Mitaka a few inches to look down at him.

“I must admit, I have never done this with another man before.” Mitaka blushed at that, making Hux smile faintly in partial amusement. “You were wrong about one thing though.”

Mitaka piqued with interest at that. “I was?”

Reaching in between Mitaka’s legs, Hux gathered some remaining cum with his fingers, rubbed them together to coat them, and then carefully moved his pointer finger to Mitaka’s slightly puckered hole.

“I’ve never slept with women, either…” Mitaka was shocked, to the point of barely noticing that Hux slipped his wet finger inside his ass hole. Leaning over him again to get closer to his dumbstruck face, Hux added, “I am honored to lose my virginity with you…”

Before Mitaka could respond, Hux kissed him longingly on the lips while slipping a second finger inside. Mitaka hissed against Hux’s mouth when he was stretched open just a few centimeters. When the man pulled away, he shoved the fingers further inside and started moving them around to open Mitaka up more. The Lieutenant started to breathe heavier as ecstasy began to fill him.

“Ah, Hux…”

After a few more drags of his fingers, Hux spread them apart before pulling them out of Mitaka’s ass, and then he grabbed his shaft, which was beginning to harden again already. After a few strokes of the length, he moved the head to Mitaka’s cheeks and then pushed it forward as he gently thrust. Mitaka’s eyes shut tightly as he gasped at the sudden intrusion. Hux paused to let him get used to the foreign object before slowly filling Mitaka up.

Mitaka was panting and moaning weakly at the half-hard member filling him all the way to the hilt. When the tops of Hux’s thighs pressed into Mitaka’s own, he released his shaft, placed his hands on Mitaka’s groins, and then moved them up to his sides, pulled back a few inches, and then thrust forward harshly.

“AH!”

Mitaka threw his head back as the head of the hardening member barely prodded his prostate, crying out. Breathing heavily, Hux pulled back again and then began to thrust slowly to gather momentum. For the next few minutes, Hux gradually thrust faster and harder, doing exactly what he said he would do for Mitaka’s first time. His hands were now on the bed by Mitaka’s sides and he thrust in and out in an even, fast pace, fulfilling their desires just right. Mitaka’s hands fidgeted against the sheets as he continued to moan, not knowing what else to do besides that. All he knew was that Hux’s now hard cock felt amazing inside of him and he felt immense gratitude and enjoyment towards the man. He wouldn’t have lost his virginity to anyone but Hux.

“M-Mit…are y-you…? Kriff, you’re amazing!”

“Ah, ha, hah, ah, ah, ha, ah Hux. H-Harder…p-please!” Gritting his teeth as he growled at the tightness of Mitaka’s inner walls around his cock, Hux leaned over his body, grabbed his hips, and then began to pull him into his hardening thrusts. As Mitaka’s prostate was pierced, he grabbed around Hux’s upper back out of reflex. “Ah fuck Hux!”

“Ha, ha, ah, ah…l-like this?”

“Ah Hux!”

Taking that as a yes, Hux pressed his head to Mitaka’s sternum as he picked up speed and force again, hitting his prostate over and over again. Both of them were panting and moaning loudly in pleasure. Lifting his head a minute later, Hux jerked his hips quickly and harshly forward while yanking Mitaka into his piercing thrusts, giving him all of it.

“M-Mitaka y-you-!”

“Hux! AH HUX!” Their thighs were slamming into each other now and Mitaka’s shaft was bouncing wildly between their bodies. “AH, HA, AH, AH, AAAH…!”

“Ah, ah, AH, HA, HA, HA, AH MITAKA!”

Both of them had their eyes tightly shut because of how amazing this felt as Hux continued to thrust fast and hard into Mitaka, who didn’t want this to end. But any second now and Hux wouldn’t be able to hold back anymore. He could feel his release coming on fast and strong.

“HA AH, AH, HU-!” With a loud cry and throwing his head all the way back, Mitaka felt cum shoot into his ass and fill him to the brim. “AH HUX!”

Feeling exhausted from doing all the work, Hux collapsed against Mitaka’s stomach, forcing his hands onto the bed to keep most of his upper weight off him. They both panted heavily as they regained their breaths.

A long time passed and gradually their bodies began to relax completely. Swallowing another half a minute later, Hux pushed his upper body back up, pulled half of his limp shaft out, and then gently thrust back in. Mitaka slowly opened his eyes, breathing hard through his nose. Hux stared down at him with his mouth partway open as he breathed, staring longingly at him.

“M-Mitaka I-”

Mitaka swallowed hard before breathing with his mouth open. “I-I love you…t-too, H-Hux…”

And that was all the reassurance Hux ever needed…

* * *

Three times they had made love to each other that night, and each time was better than the last. As the memory faded from his mind, Mitaka blinked at Hux, and then he looked back up at the ceiling. He took a deep breath before carefully rolling onto his side and sitting up on the edge of the bed. Something inside his ass shifted uncomfortably as he moved, making him grimace and make a hiss noise. He desperately needed a shower.

Mitaka was about to get up when a voice asked, “Morning. Where are you going?”

Not looking back at Hux, Mitaka stood up. “Bathroom.”

“To do what?”

Mitaka tried to straighten out some of his unkempt hair with his fingers as he moved to the door. “Shower.”

On the bed, Hux rolled up into a sitting position. “Do you always talk like this in the morning?”

The bathroom door slid closed after Mitaka entered, not answering. Hux seemed amused. The sound of running water coming out of a sprayer soon came on. After stretching out his arms and popping his back, Hux stood up and walked to the bathroom. The door slid open, allowing him entry. He saw Mitaka’s silhouette behind the shower door as he stood under the shower head. Hux splashed cold water on his face and pushed some water through his messy hair from the sink. Mitaka didn’t say a word as he got wet and then began to soap up, starting with his stomach. A look of annoyance appeared on his face when he heard Hux using his toilet to relieve his bladder.

“Ass,” he said loudly.

“If I remember correctly, it was _your_ ass that had an attitude problem.”

“Shut up.”

“It didn’t want to let me go, that’s what its problem was!”

“In or not?”

Opening the second side of the door, Hux shoved it aside and then entered. He closed the door while looking up at Mitaka, who had his back to him. He was scrubbing in between his ass cheeks hard. Hux smirked as he came up behind him, placing his hands on his waist.

“I could clean you up. It _was_ my mess, after all.”

“No, work, hurry up.”

“Ordering around your superior officer? That calls for,” Moving his mouth to Mitaka’s ear, Hux finished, “punishment…”

“Ah, stop!”

With his right hand, Hux reached around Mitaka’s front and grabbed his limp penis. “I have heard,” he began as he gripped it firmly and started to move his hand along the length, “that if you relieve yourself in the morning before your duties, you will have significantly less stress during the day.”

Gritting his teeth, Mitaka grabbed Hux’s wrist and tried to pull his hand off his shaft, but the General just switched hands and continued to stroke him.

“But I don’t want…to be late for w-work, H-Hux!”

“Except you don’t need to be on the bridge today. You are tailing me all day. And I can work when _ever_ I want.”

Mitaka started losing breath as he became erect and his body got hot all over. “P-Power…a-abuser…” Getting his hand free, Hux wrapped his arm around Mitaka’s waist and forced his ass back into him. The Lieutenant moaned as he felt Hux’s penis press against the crack of his soapy ass. “Don’t…d-do it.”

Hux ignored him as he continued pumping his shaft, picking up the pace a bit. Mitaka panted and moaned at the electrical surges filling his nether region from the friction, not wanting to admit that he was enjoying Hux’s authority over him this morning. He was completely erect and hard and the man’s jerking hand felt so amazing on his cock. Soon, Mitaka moaned out his name.

“That’s my good Lieutenant.”

Feeling weak in the knees, Mitaka slammed his left hand against the wall and grabbed Hux’s arm with his right for balance. He folded slightly in the middle as he growled with his eyes closed.

“Ah kriff…f-fuck me Hux…!”

“Are you sure? Because I don’t think we have that much time.”

“ _Hux_!”

The General chuckled in his ear. “Alright, if you insist…”

Stopping his hand movements on Mitaka’s dick, Hux moved his hand in between their bodies, grabbed his limp shaft in the middle, and then led the head to Mitaka’s slick asshole. The Lieutenant gasped and then moaned as it began to press in easily. Of course, shoving in soap suds was not the smartest idea, but he figured Hux would remedy that later. It didn’t take long for the full length to be inside him until balls met flesh. It felt just as amazing as last night and Mitaka showed his appreciation by jerking his ass back to get started.

“M-Mess me up… _please_!”

“With _pleasure_.”

Keeping a firm grip on Mitaka’s waist with his arm and hand, Hux pulled back a couple inches and then thrust in hard, nearly touching the prostate. Mitaka was moaning consistently as the man thrust in and out of him with a slightly faster pace than what he normally started out with. Not that Mitaka was complaining, it just felt so wonderful.

“Ha, ah, ah, AH, AH, h-harder!”

“N-Naughty boy…”

Grabbing the arm that was holding Mitaka up by the wall, Hux lowered it, turned to lean back against the wall, and then gently placed his free hand to Mitaka’s neck in order to hold him flush against his body. Turning his head, Mitaka forced their mouths together for a long, firm kiss. Hux pressed his thumb to his throat, rubbing at it gently. Mitaka’s hips bucked forward with each hardening thrust and he could feel the head of his erection pressing into his stomach and releasing pre-cum. Wanting to come, he grabbed his cock and moved his hand up and down with his fingers pressing into his stomach. He soon needed to breathe, so he turned his head back around and panted and moaned out hot air.

“Ah Hux! C-Come… P-Please come…!”

Grabbing under his legs suddenly, Hux hoisted Mitaka up off the wet floor and began thrusting at an upward angle into his stretched ass. This allowed him to penetrate even deeper, his leaking tip prodding Mitaka’s prostate. Since he figured the man would get tired of trying to hold his weight up with one arm after a while, Mitaka pressed his feet into the shower door, hoping it wouldn’t break under the added pressure, but the door held firm. He didn’t quite feel like trying to explain to a repair droid what had happened to it if it broke into several large pieces.

As Hux was getting closer to his orgasm, cum started shooting out of Mitaka’s cock, splattering his chest and stomach. He moaned louder and more frequent because of the pleasure coming from both ends. He could feel Hux coming close to the end, so he grabbed his hips with his hands and forced his body down to meet the thrusts. After doing this a few times, the man came, causing Mitaka to cry out in pleasure. Putting him back on his feet after a few more thrusts to release everything, Hux wrapped his arms around Mitaka’s stomach and held him against his body as they both worked on regaining their lost breaths.

Mitaka swallowed hard on his last heavy breath and then let one out. Lifting his foot off the shower floor, he came off of Hux’s cock, placed his foot back down, and then tried to get out of his arms that were still attached to his waist. But Hux held harder, nuzzling Mitaka’s head with his own.

“What’s the rush? I already said I can start my duties whenever _I_ want, so the same applies to you.”

“Because I would rather not stay in a shower forever.”

“Just a few more minutes.”

Mitaka scowled, but fell limp in Hux’s arms despite himself. “I Just don’t want the soap to dry up before I get the chance to clean it out.”

Hux kissed the side of his head. “I will take care of it, I promise.”

In response, Mitaka got himself turned around in Hux’s arms due to being slippery, and then pecked him on the lips. “Thanks.”

Smirking, Hux grabbed the back of his head and forced their mouths back together for a more passionate kiss. Mitaka melted into it, never wanting to let this moment go for as long as they both shall live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update: September 2
> 
> YA’LL THOUGHT I WASN’T GOING TO INCLUDE THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER’S PORN, DIDN’T YA?! Well ya’ll thought wrong mwahahahahahahahahahaha! I hope you enjoyed ;) And yes, I did make Hux a virgin because I can! :D


	15. Chapter 15

After a very thorough shower for both of them, Hux put on his previous day’s clothing and Mitaka dressed in fresh, clean attire.

“I will have to return to my quarters before we perform our duties, so feel free to go to my office and wait for me there,” Hux suggested.

“Yes sir.”

As Mitaka was setting his rank markers in place on his chest, Hux checked him over for inspection, licked back a few loose strands of his black hair to fit with the rest, and then placed his finger under his chin to lift his gaze. Mitaka saw him smiling in an amused way.

“I have just now noticed how _handsome_ you are.” Mitaka blushed, making Hux chuckle. “No, that is not the heat talking, it is _very_ true.” Leaning in, Hux planted a soft, few-seconds kiss to Mitaka’s lips. “Let’s do this again sometime, hm?”

Mitaka was too stunned to respond, but it just amused Hux. After a final good-bye, he left to let his Lieutenant finish getting ready. Once he was alone and no longer felt embarrassed having Hux there, Mitaka put on his cap last and then picked up his datapad from his desk, checking for any messages he might have missed. He swiped away the preview of the one from Hux before the heat fiasco and then saw two others. One was from PO_Thanisson, whose preview said “Thanks for the great time last night. I…” and one from his previous superior officer, asking him if he was assigned to General Hux today.

After replying that he would be assisting Hux all day and telling Thanisson that he was glad he could make him happy, and that they should do it again sometime since he was spending so much time with the General these days, Mitaka pocketed the datapad and left. He decided to take a walk around the ship for a bit until going to Hux’s office, to help wake him up a bit more. Last night had just been so exciting and exhausting at the same time, and this morning hadn’t been much help, so he figured a walk would remedy that.

About ten minutes later, Mitaka felt his datapad buzz against his leg, so he reached in and pulled it out. There was a preview message from Hux that sounded urgent, so the Lieutenant opened it immediately.

 **Gen_Hux:** I have just been informed that the Supreme Ruler wishes to see us. It sounded…URGENT.

Mitaka had a _bad_ feeling about this…

* * *

“In case it was not _clear_ , I am quite _attuned_ when it comes to what happens in the First Order, both on and off base and the Finalizer, General Hux and Lieutenant Mitaka.”

After a quick space pod trip from the Finalizer to Starkiller, Hux and Mitaka had gone straight to Snoke’s chamber, not really knowing what to expect. But as soon as he reminded them of his ability, they knew what this meeting was going to be about.

“Supreme Ruler, may I explain-?” Mitaka began.

“No, Lieutenant,” Snoke interrupted curtly, “you may not. I know what has conspired between the two of you, something that _must_ be addressed.” Mitaka lowered his head in embarrassment. Hux glanced at him, knowing that it was his fault that any of last night had happened. Snoke was silent for a moment. “I am fully aware of werewolves’ biological habits and I would not put it past me that it _will_ happen again. Therefore, new rules must be placed. General, if you go into heat again, you will lock yourself in the nearest room and stay there until you break out of it. _On your own_.” Hux had opened his mouth to speak, but he shut it immediately. “Now, I cannot stop you from mating again, but it must be done privately when you are not on duty. If you mate on the job, I will separate the both of you indefinitely. Is that under _stood_?”

Hux and Mitaka glanced at each other, feeling slightly relieved that Snoke hadn’t ordered them to separate forever. Had that been the case, they would likely be driven mad without each other close. It was a good thing Snoke could sense almost anything, otherwise they would be in trouble.

“Yes, Supreme Ruler, we understand,” Mitaka said softly.

“Understood, Supreme Ruler.”

Snoke gave a curt nod before resting back in his stone throne. “Good. If anything such as this were to interfere with the First Order’s endgame, I would have no choice but to end your servitude right here and now.”

Mitaka glanced at Hux worriedly. If he had to be banned from his General position before the First Order’s mission was a success, it would destroy him. He hadn’t come so far at such a young age just for it all to end forever. Mitaka would hate himself if turning Hux into a werewolf had ruined his destiny.

“We will take extra precautions to ensure nothing goes wrong,” Hux assured Snoke.

“You had _better_ … Dismissed.” Hux was the first to turn around and head for the door. Mitaka looked apologetically at Snoke before following. “…One more thing, General.” Hux stopped, glancing at Snoke over his shoulder. Mitaka kept walking since he hadn’t been addressed, but he was curious to know what Snoke had to say, so he shortened his stride. “Time is running out for preparations. If I were you, I would spend a good portion of your free time to finish what you have started, rather than spend it with the Lieutenant. In addition…”

Mitaka almost stopped to listen for more, but he forced himself to leave the chamber, like a good dismissed soldier. Once the doors closed, he couldn’t hear what else Snoke and Hux were talking about. Sighing, Mitaka moved off to the side and stood near the wall as he waited for Hux to exit the chamber. He perked up minutes later when the chamber doors opened. He looked over and saw Hux emerge, stopping once the doors closed again. There was a pause where neither said anything nor moved.

“Lieutenant, come with me to my office.”

Eyes widening slightly, Mitaka hesitated before stepping towards him. “Yes sir.”

Without a word of acknowledgment, Hux led Mitaka away, who was both curious and nervous to know what Hux wanted to talk to him about. It didn’t take long to reach his office and walk inside. While Mitaka moved towards his desk, Hux locked the door with the keypad on his wall.

“Sit.”

Mitaka removed his cap as he sat in the chair, feeling even more nervous since Hux hadn’t changed his tone from super serious to relaxed, despite the fact they were alone. Going around the desk, Hux sat down, moved the chair forward, and then removed his datapad from his pocket, setting it down off to the side. Mitaka glanced at it, feeling like Hux was taking far too long to talk to him. Had he done something wrong without realizing it?

“Er, Hux-”

“We need to set up some ground rules, Mitaka,” Hux finally said, not looking at him. Mitaka’s shoulders slumped and he looked hurt. There was a long pause before Hux sighed and rubbed at his temples with his fingers. “Last night and this morning might have been a mistake-” Although Mitaka realized Hux was just thinking out loud, he still felt his stomach drop unpleasantly and an ache filled his chest. Soon, Hux lowered his hands and finally looked up at him. “You and I need to tread lightly for a while. I cannot allow Snoke to lose faith in me when the Order is finally so close to overpowering the Republic and Resistance. And although it pains me to say this, Mitaka, we have to pretend that we do not have feelings for each other. You and I need to maintain a professional environment all day long, and possibly even off duty. We can’t let the First Order know about us. Is that understood?”

Blinking, Mitaka stared at Hux for a few seconds longer before grabbing the arm rests of the chair and pushing himself to his feet. Hux lifted his gaze, confused at what he was doing. After another few seconds of silent staring later, Mitaka lowered his head to place his cap back on his head and then turned slightly to get around the chair.

“I understand, General,” he said emotionlessly.

Mitaka felt absolutely miserable. Snoke just had to ruin everything. Even though Mitaka had been against sleeping with Hux in the first place, once it happened, he had felt more than just admiration for the man. He now felt far more connected with Hux than just as werewolves. Mitaka had fallen in love and he thought Hux had to, but it pained him to think that the man wasn’t capable of such trivial bullshit.

“Dopheld-”

Reaching the door and smashing the unlock button with his hand, Mitaka glanced at Hux over his shoulder, glaring weakly. “Superior officers should address their inferior officers with their title and last names _only_. It says so right in the stupid kriffing handbook that you so _proudly_ hold in your heart far more than the two of us.”

Before Hux could say anything against that, Mitaka looked ahead and left, needing a long walk outside in the bitter cold of Starkiller Base to chill his hot, hard, and loud pounding, love-stricken heart.

* * *

It had been nearly two weeks since Snoke had warned Hux and Mitaka about their changing relationship, which had changed yet again since the Lieutenant nearly stormed out of the General’s office. Every day since then, they only acted as a General and their Lieutenant should act, both on and off duty. It had been hard at first, seeing each other in only one way again, but it had gotten easier once they, mostly, forgot about their time together. The only thing that wouldn’t change was the imprinting they had inadvertently put on each other.

It was now the night of Hux’s third transformation. Mitaka was still at his station, not looking like he was going to head for the space pod that the two werewolves always took to the planet in time. He just sat in his chair alone, while the rest of his crew went to an early dinner, which was always the schedule that no one had ever questioned. On his blank console sat his datapad. As he stared off into space, not paying attention to it, the screen lit open, showing that he had a few unread messages. He never even glanced the handheld machine’s way.

All day, Mitaka had been reserved and barely spoke to anyone, even when addressed. For half of the day, Thanisson had tried initiating conversation with him throughout, but Mitaka ignored him. Thanisson figured something was wrong with him, but he had not been raised to pry directly into other peoples’ business. Gossiping was one thing, but butting in by talking to the person involved was another. Deep in his body, Mitaka could feel that his transformation was at least an hour away, but still he didn’t move. The only person who would know what was wrong was himself and he didn’t want to think about it at all.

The datapad lit up again a while later, but this time it sounded a dial tone that would repeat until the recipient either accepted the call or denied it. After a while of this, Mitaka finally glanced at the device out of his peripherals. He blinked blankly at it, trying to decide if he should just let it ring or to deny the call. In the end, he dragged it across the console with his fingers gripping the edges and then he nonchalantly knocked it to the floor. The screen landed face down after bouncing a couple of times. Mitaka then turned his chair to face the left and looked back at the spot on the floor from before, blinking.

Mitaka lost all sense of time after that. He had no idea how much time had passed before the door into the control room opened and someone entered, stopping right in the doorway to look at him. Mitaka didn’t acknowledge who it was, but his breathing nose caught the familiar scent of sterilization chemicals.

“Dopheld, it’s time to return to the planet.” Mitaka didn’t move. There was a long pause as Dr. Ekels stared at him. “The General is already in a pod and on his way.”

“I’m not going.”

Dr. Ekels frowned. “Why not?”

“Because.”

“…The General needs you with him.”

“No, he doesn’t. He has made that perfectly clear.”

“Dopheld-”

“Curfew is about to begin,” Mitaka said softly while standing up. “You should lock yourself in your quarters before it’s too late…”

Blinking, Dr. Ekels watched Mitaka move to the large windows that showed the outer space outside. He stood there, unmoving, not even bothering to get undressed, as he waited for the fire to erupt in the empty pit of his stomach. Dr. Ekels stood there just long enough to see him hunch his body up and growl loudly in pain as the transformation began, before turning around and starting to leave. At the last second, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a very tiny object, and then tossed it in the air before walking out the door. Once safely outside and the corridor was deadly quiet, Ekels pulled out his datapad and started up the feed of a camera that was directly in the control room with Mitaka. As he briskly walked in the direction of his living quarters, he got a perfectly clear show of what a transformation looked like.

The video had no sound, but by the way Mitaka flailed and rolled and jerked his body around and showed signs of distress on his face, Dr. Ekels knew that he was in terrible pain. A cruel smirk appeared on his face briefly, deciding that he should keep this evidence to look back on whenever he was feeling devious. Reaching his room minutes later, he locked the door and moved to his bed, laying down to continue watching the silent feed.

The transformation lasted a good few minutes, the doctor had calculated. Mitaka’s clothing laid in tatters around his recovering form. Ekels was very intrigued about all of this since he had never seen a werewolf before, so he felt blessed to finally know what it looked like. It was definitely not something he wanted to become though. He may have enjoyed inflicting pain on those he couldn’t stand or didn’t particularly like, but he wasn’t a masochist. No, he was a sadist, taking pleasure only in those suffering or in pain. During his practice hours he could control himself around his patients—or ex-patients now, no thanks to General Hux—but in his quarters, he let Mother Nature take its course.

At this point, Mitaka was relaxed and laying still on the floor, staring out the window in his werewolf form. Dr. Ekels controlled the minuscule camera to change position and angles, giving the doctor a closer look at Mitaka’s facial expression. As Ekels saw the half closed eyes that glistened with tears and the depressed look on the werewolf’s face and showing in his lowered ears, he began to put two and two together. Gradually, a cruel grin appeared on his face.

“So you have fallen madly in love with the General,” he spoke softly out loud before chuckling. “But he will not reciprocate, will he, my precious little pet?”

Mitaka, of course, had no idea that this despicable man was mocking his pain even though he was a doctor and swore to heal the sick and damaged. What a cruel irony…

Having finished what he set out to do, Dr. Ekels stopped the recording, opened the file that automatically saved to the hard drive, and began to watch the transformation all over again without distraction, relishing in Mitaka’s pain over and over and over again…

* * *

Down on Starkiller, near an abandoned space pod in the woods, Hux in his werewolf form was sniffing around the area, trying to locate Mitaka, who hadn’t been there like all those times before. Although the beast was a mindless killing machine, they still remembered their time as a werewolf each transformation night. So the fact that Mitaka seemed to be nowhere to be found and his scent was nearly wiped out when it shouldn’t be, both confused and upset Hux. Where was his black furred companion that was always by his side?

Sitting down with his hand-paws in between his raised knees, Hux hung his head, whining from loneliness. This was the first time he had been all by himself, so he didn’t know what he was supposed to be doing. He wanted Mitaka there; he always knew what to do.

Hux stayed there for a long time before boredom outweighed his uncertainty and anxiousness, so he started walking away on all fours to travel deeper in the woodsy expanse. He decided to try exploring a different area of the planet to expand his knowledge of where all he could go. Sniffing the ground as he walked, he recognized the scent of the frozen creek that he and Mitaka always shared a drink from. Since they had been there plenty of times, Hux turned a different way, discovering new scents as he went in this direction. Well, it was a good place to start, his instincts decided for him.

Hux traveled a long time, having run every few acres of land to cover more ground. As time went on, he felt slightly better about being on his own for the first time, but that feeling of loneliness was still very heavy in his chest. By a couple of miles, the trees were beginning to thin out and there seemed to be far more snow here since it was so open. Sometimes Hux would hit a super soft spot and plummet into it, powdery snow blowing up around him. The first one he had hit, he had a funny, stunned look on his face, like he had no idea what just happened or why. As he came up out of it, getting in a crouch on all fours, he shook his body hard, shaking the thin layer of snow from his fur. He had a feeling that if Mitaka was here, the black werewolf would be howling with laughter.

At the thought of Mitaka again, Hux whimpered as he continued on his way, wishing he knew what had happened to him. He certainly hoped he wasn’t hurt; he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he couldn’t help him. Hux didn’t know what feeling he had in his belly, but it made him both happy and feel pain. What in the world was going on around here? Why was tonight so different compared to the last two times? And where was Mitaka?!

Getting angry that he felt so painstakingly alone, Hux began attacking the soft snow with his mouth and snarling, feeling foolish only after he calmed down. He was currently pressing his chest into the packed snow near the bottom with his arms outstretched, while his butt and tail were poised perfectly still in the air. Quickly scrambling to get up, his hand-paws slipping and sliding since he had a hard time getting a good grip, he jerked his head up out of the fluff as he got on all fours, snow flying everywhere around him. Out of his peripheral vision, he noticed that his furry cheeks were visible when normally he only could see what was right in front of him and along his snout. Moving his icy blue eyes back and forth to get a better look, he figured out what was going on.

Packed inside his whole mouth and cheeks was nothing but snow. Apparently, he had grabbed a bunch without realizing it before jerking his head up out of the snow pack. Getting an annoyed look on his face, Hux forced a hard breath of air from his lungs, sending the snow flying through the air and plopping to the ground. He ended up swallowing some of it and the particles stuck to his tongue and mouth would have to melt on their own since he couldn’t get it all out. After spitting his tongue out of his mouth a few times, Hux continued on his way, sinking and falling into the feet of snow consistently.

The night was half over by now and Hux was still alone. He had opted to walk on two legs after a while, still managing to sink in the softer snows from time-to-time, but not fall abdomen-deep. Sniffing the air and ground had become such second nature to him now that he wasn’t even aware he was doing it. So when he smelled another new scent, Hux stopped, perking up and looking ahead as far as his eyes could see. He blinked them a few times when he saw a dark outline of something far away. Curiosity getting the better of him, Hux got on all fours and began to sprint towards the unknown object. Pride filled his entire body at coming up with such an ingenious plan to expand his and Mitaka’s territory.

It took at least five minutes for Hux to reach the object, which was huge and rectangular shaped with a flat, snow-covered top on it. There was also a mountain peak at the back. Slowing to a walk and then stopping a few feet away, he looked up first, then left and right slowly, taking it all in. Looking down, he saw that the snow was thinnest here and it was on something that wasn’t dirt or mud. Blinking while tilting his head to the side, Hux moved a bit closer, crouched down, and then reached for it. As soon as he touched it, he pulled back sharply, registering that it was freezing cold and harder than rocks. Was this some strange, non-translucent ice?

Whining, Hux looked around for any signs of Mitaka or other animals that might be nearby, but it was pretty empty except for this thing, whatever it was. With the visible breath coming out of his nose as he breathed, the red werewolf looked back up at the object and saw something he hadn’t noticed the first time. Leaning forward so that he didn’t walk on the weird ice, he sniffed in hard as he adjusted his eyesight to get a better look. His eyes widened when he saw something embedded into the structure, which had a very interesting scent and taste to it. Hux had no idea what it was and he wanted to investigate, but the ice frightened him. What if it broke because of his weight and he fell deep into freezing cold water? And without Mitaka there, how would he get out if he did fall through?

Forcing air hard out of his nose, Hux got on all fours and began to pace back and forth in front of the structure, trying to decide his next course of action. He did this for a long time before stopping and looking down at the ice. Swallowing hard, he slowly and carefully extended one hand-paw, got his claws ready, and hesitated while massaging his fingers together and against his palm, before placing the tips down. When nothing happened, Hux pressed a little harder and then dragged his claws across the ice. Usually when he did this, cracks would form, but that didn’t happen here. Hux blinked large eyes a few times before extending his hand and trying to scratch it again, harder this time.

Even after a few minutes, no cracks appeared in this ice, but Hux still didn’t want to take any chances, so he kept at it in hopes that it _would_ do something eventually. He left behind streaks from the bit of snow moving out of the way, allowing him to see the ice more clearly. For some reason, there was no reflection. As soon as he realized this, Hux got even more curious. Maybe this wasn’t ice at all? An idea suddenly struck him after a few seconds. Moving his hand to one side instead of up, Hux hacked at the thing, his nails creating loud, crackling sparks. Since this was a first for him, he jumped high in the air in fright and threw his body back away from it, crouching down low and panting heavily. Was this thing a monster that had gotten angry, so it spit out painful lights in warning at him? Well what else could it be than a monster?

Now Hux was facing a dilemma. Should he continue to investigate this black thing or just examine the sides and top of this structure instead? Still feeling the aftermath of the sparks on his fingers, Hux decided it wasn’t worth getting seriously injured or killed over, so he finally turned in one direction, stood up, and then began to walk the perimeter of this unknown structure.

For a long time Hux went this way, glancing at the object from time-to-time and noticing subtle things here and there. The black monster he had angered spanned the entire length of the wall, which he started to think that maybe it was a special cliff of some kind. Maybe it was the monster’s home? Well whatever it was, Hux was determined to give it a name, so he kept on walking.

What seemed like days later, Hux finally reached the end of the wall and turned when he saw blank space after it. He tilted his head in curiosity, noticing that this side looked the same as the other, except it went up at an incline towards the mountain peak. Feeling apprehensive at these new discoveries, he scratched nervously at his neck as he started walking this side as well.

It felt like forever before Hux reached the top section of the structure, which was completely flat and had just a thin layer of snow on it. He glanced at the snowy mountain peak in case there was anything of interest, but it was just a boring old peak. Of course, Hux never thought mountains could have unknown structures sticking out of them, but that was for another day.

Inhaling deeply to calm himself, Hux walked onto the flat top, not slipping or sliding at all. He immediately noticed that underneath the snow and what he currently felt with his paws since the snow had melted was not like the black thing at all. Instead, it felt rocky and yet still flat at the same time. Blinking, Hux crouched down and used his right hand-paw to dust some of the snow off for a better look. His eyes widened when he saw gray instead of black and it looked speckled, like stone. This structure was just getting more intriguing every minute.

Standing back up, Hux looked around, almost shocked to see that he could see for miles up here. It was actually beautiful. If only Mitaka was there to share it with him. Whimpering, Hux stood back up and walked across the flat top until he reached the edge. Getting on his knees, he gripped the edge tightly with both hands and carefully looked over. His eyes went out of focus a few times once he realized just how high up he was from the snowy ground. Pushing away, he closed his eyes to shake his head clear. Hux then slowly inched close to the edge to let his eyes adjust to everything before he tried looking down again. The second time was much better and he felt safe. Or, safe enough, anyway.

Hux looked back and forth, unable to see the black thing below. Getting on his belly next, he pulled his body over the end until his sternum left the ground. He tried looking again and managed to catch a glimpse of the black thing from earlier. Hux put two and two together, coming up with an answer to his curious mind. The top of the structure on this end was directly above the bottom, creating some sort of closed off hole. Could this weird thing be a _cave_?

Feeling dizzy now, Hux scooted back, lifted his chest off the ground, and then got to his feet. He stared at the horizon for a while again before turning around and walking back towards the mountain peak. Stopping about halfway there, he looked down at the ground, feeling something in his chest that had to do with this exact spot. Crouching down, he placed his hand-paw to it and moved the snow away. He blinked when he saw the color red overlapping the gray rock. For a moment he thought it was blood, but it wasn’t wet or dried up feeling, so perhaps the rock just had extra colors to it. Still, having such a strong feeling for this exact spot made absolutely no sense to Hux’s werewolf mind. What did all of this even mean?

Wanting this terrible feeling to go away, Hux turned to the left in order to check this side of the cave. Everything was the same on top, so he returned to the edge, moved up towards the peak to reach the top of the incline, and then started back down. This side was the same as the other one, so he opted to return to the front again to investigate a little more.

Returning to where he started, Hux placed his hand-paws on his hips in thought, trying to figure out why the cave was closed off. As he saw the black part again, an idea struck him. If he walked over it, would the monster spark at him again? Swallowing hard, Hux steeled himself before lifting his right back paw and very slowly lowering it down towards the black thing. When he touched it lightly, he blinked when nothing happened. It was still very cold, but that didn’t bother him too terribly much. Hux now felt braver, so he pressed down harder to finish his step and then lifted his other back paw to walk onto it.

Hux stopped when his paws were almost flat on the black monster. The sparks still didn’t come, but a figurative one began to form in Hux’s brain when he remembered something. His claws had been the object of the monster’s anger, but what if it hadn’t been a monster warning him at all? What if his _claws_ had made the sparks _themselves_? Hux’s tail wagged back and forth fast as a wolfish smile formed on his face at the realization. That just had to be it! There was nothing to fear here, he was safe, there was no way he could get hurt on this thing! Feeling confident now, Hux took a step forward and then-

“WHA-ARP!”

All of a sudden, Hux’s paws gave out from under him and he crashed backwards into the shallow snow, his butt landing painfully hard on the black thing he tried to walk on. Well so much for his previous assessment! Hux lay there dazed for a bit, trying to decide what exactly he had gotten himself into. Oh if only Mitaka were here, he would know what to do about all this weirdness.

Once he was done feeling sorry for himself, Hux carefully sat up, using his hand-paws to push his back up off the ground. Bits of snow fell from his fur, so he shook himself clean. He soon looked down at the black thing, deciding to call it rock for now since it had been super painful to land on. He ran his hands across it to get a feel of it for better clarification, noticing how smooth it was. At least it wasn’t ragged and bumpy, so he wouldn’t accidentally stab or cut himself on it. Releasing a hard, steamy breath from his nose, he tried to get up in a crouch, but his paws kept slipping on it. Putting on a determined face though, Hux forced himself to keep trying, even if he fell constantly.

It took nearly ten minutes for Hux to finally be able to walk on the rock, albeit losing his balance from time-to-time, and reach the closed off hole. As he nearly slid backwards, he forced his body forward, placing his hands on what he assumed was also rock. The idea that this was some kind of cave was becoming more believable to him now. But why was this strange rock blocking the opening—assuming it was rock—anyway? Well, it did have cracks in it like some rocks had, so it must be rock. Except, these cracks were vertical and entirely straight and there weren’t many, so maybe it wasn’t? This intrigued Hux especially. Deciding to just call it rock for now, he furthered his investigation by gently running his thumb over the crack, feeling it grate against his furred skin and pads. Deciding to try another tactic, Hux looked right and left and back behind him, in case Mitaka decided to show up unannounced and freak him out, before sniffing the crack and then giving it a big ol’ lick.

Hux’s eyes widened in disgust as he jerked his head away, hacking and spluttering and flicking his tongue in and out of his mouth to get rid of the weird taste the rock had. The red werewolf was starting to think it wasn’t rock at all, but some other unknown substance that he didn’t know about. Letting his tongue stick out to air it out, Hux glared at the rock, hating his entire night so far. Mitaka was gone, he had traveled pretty far from what he was familiar with, and now he had this stupid taste in his mouth that didn’t seem to want to go away. What else was planning to go wrong tonight?

Finally sick of the whole experience and wanting to get back to his original territory, Hux used the rock or whatever it was for support as he moved along the side to reach the snow again. It took a while, but he was finally back on familiar ground, something he could trust, minus the softer snow packs that made him sink. Once the adventure was calming down, a loud, hungry growl formed in his stomach, making him place a hand to it. He had almost forgotten that he hadn’t eaten anything since waking up tonight. So, getting back on all fours, sniffing the direction where he had come from to make sure he was facing the right way, Hux began to run back, hoping he would meet Mitaka along the way.

* * *

Back on the Finalizer, Mitaka wasn’t having much better of a time than Hux was. He, too, had searched for Hux and while he could smell his scent so strongly everywhere he went, there was no physical sign of him. There wasn’t even tufts of red and orange fur to be found.

Unlike Hux, Mitaka knew where he was since he had been through these corridors many times before, so he wasn’t afraid or curious about anything he came across. All he knew and felt was that he was lonely and Hux seemed to be hiding or was lost somewhere within this huge expanse of twisting and turning passageways.

Mitaka didn’t know what floor of the Finalizer he was on, not that he could keep count with this stupid, beastly brain of his anyway, but he figured he was very high up now. Maybe if he hurried, he could reach the top observation deck to watch the infinite amount of stars for a while. It had been a very long time since he went there, he felt.

After a long while, Mitaka was bored with seeing the same old thing again. It was nice being in that forest with all that snow and being able to drink from the creek whenever he wanted because it had been new and exciting. He still remembered the first time when he and Hux fought and killed that reptilian beast for their meal together. That felt like a whole lifetime ago…

A whine escaped Mitaka at the thought of Hux, still unable to figure out why he smelled him but couldn’t find him. Was Hux playing a game with him? Well Mitaka wished he would stop because it wasn’t funny. It wasn’t in the beginning and it wasn’t now. He wanted to be with Hux again, like last time. But where was he? Why wasn’t he here? Why was Mitaka all alone and feeling a terrible ache in his chest?

Feeling restless and upset, Mitaka got on all fours and began to run through the Finalizer, hating this entire night so far. He felt that he wanted to understand, to be consciously aware of what was happening this time around. Why had they been in a forest a few times, but were now separated with Mitaka stuck on a ship that he didn’t even know was a ship? He just felt so frustrated!

Unknowingly, Mitaka reached the observation deck some time later. When he saw the empty deck and could see the stars high above him and all around, he slowed to a walk, stopped, and then stood back up, looking around for something. Spotting a ladder on the wall that led to a smaller, upper deck, he ran to it and climbed as fast as he could. He remembered the first time he had tried it out, falling painfully back down, especially when up pretty high, and it took him a few times to learn how to use it, but now he was a werewolf, ladder-climbing pro. Once he reached the top, he walked to the thick glass and sat down, placing his arms and hand-paws on the floor in between his legs. Mitaka then took a deep, calming breath, let it out in a growling sigh, and then looked out the window.

For a very long time, Mitaka just looked around at the stars, trying to find familiar images he used to create with them, but not having much luck. Stargazing like this was always so calming and it made him feel like he was a part of something bigger than anything he knew. If only he could share these breathtaking moments with Hux. Mitaka felt that he would love it, being as curious as he was.

Whining, Mitaka changed his spot, feeling lonely again. Where was that stupid red-furred oaf at anyway? Was he wondering where Mitaka was too? Or was he happy where he was? Mitaka wished he knew. Without Hux, he felt so empty and sad and-

Unable to help it, Mitaka closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and then howled as loud as he could. It was such a beautiful, melodic sound, but without someone to share it with, it didn’t feel the same. Mitaka wanted to share his song with Hux so badly!

Back on Starkiller, standing at the edge of the cliff from the previous transformation, Hux was howling too. It echoed throughout the vast planet, trying to reach the one that he knew was the love of his life, not knowing that Mitaka knew it, too…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update: September 7
> 
> DON'T GET MAD AT ME YET, OKAY? Thank you :)


	16. Chapter 16

The beautiful sound of a howling song faintly filled his head, rousing him from slumber. Up on a small alcove and resting back against the observation window, Mitaka began to stir. His eyes fluttered open and he felt something cool pressed against his bare back. His sight soon adjusted and he glanced around at what he could see, making out very little from this position. Closing his eyes tightly, he made a sound with his mouth as he tried to sit up. Feeling the window behind him, he placed his hand against it to sit up and fall back against it. He then looked around again, realizing where he was fairly easily. There had been some instances where he woke up in the top observation deck of the Finalizer before.

Mitaka frowned, trying to remember what happened last night before his transformation. Why wasn’t he on Starkiller with Hux like all those other times? At that moment, sadness appeared on Mitaka’s face and in his posture as yesterday and last night came back full force. Feeling emotionally exhausted, he lowered his head and grabbed it with his hands while digging his fingers into his hair as he began to cry. Mitaka wasn’t with Hux because Hux didn’t want him anymore. His body shook as he cried for a long time, his fingers increasingly gripping his hair and now his skull. As he was curled up, he opened his mouth wide to sob and cry loudly. He soon collapsed onto his side, curling up into a very tight ball.

Meanwhile, on Starkiller, Hux began to wake up as well, also hearing that faint howl deep in his mind. Once he was awake enough, he had the sudden urge to do something very risky that could easily get him killed if he was rejected. He didn’t know _why_ he had such strong feelings about it right after the transformation, but that didn’t matter right now. What mattered was getting back on base to give a very important someone a piece of Hux's goddamn mind. But first, he needed to get to the space pod that he had taken by his lonesome self from the Finalizer late last night and contact Dr. Ekels to come retrieve him via snowmobile.

As fast as his long legs could take him, Hux sprinted all the way to the clearing where he had landed last night, threw himself into the opened pod door, and fumbled to pick up the receiver while inputting the code for the signal that would reach Dr. Ekels. It took a few tries, but the doctor accepted the line and was about to speak, but Hux talked hurriedly over him.

“You will need to go to Starkiller base and use one of the snowmobiles to come get me. Once you get a lock on my location, I will meet you halfway and get dressed before you take me back to base. Is that understood?!”

There was a long pause. Hux was getting impatient rather fast. He was about to yell at Dr. Ekels about incompetence when there was a click.

“ _Understood, General. I will be there in ten minutes.”_

“You had better make it _five_ ,” Hux snapped before ending the connection and slamming the receiver back on its base.

During the entire time he waited for Dr. Ekels to contact him back before he started for the rendezvous point, Hux had his arms crossed tightly over his chest while his leg bounced up and down in a continuous, fast pace. Eventually his whole body began to feel hot despite still being out in the freezing cold—the sun was hidden away by heavy snow clouds this morning, so it was still pretty dark and cold still. He kept looking at the receiver, getting angrier and angrier the longer he waited. Where in the kriffing galactic hell was that damn doctor?!

By minute six and fifty seconds, Dr. Ekels’ voice came from the speaker box. _“My apologies for the delay, General. Gaining clearance for a damn snowmobile was harder than I-”_

“I don’t give a _damn_ about your kriffing _excuses_!” Hux snapped after forcefully snatching up the receiver. “Get a damn lock on my location and get your _kriffing ass OVER HERE!_ ”

“… _Y-Yes, General. Right away…”_ There was a long pause before Ekels spoke again. _“I have a lock on your location and am on my way.”_

“About kriffing time, you slow ass _lard_!”

Hux disconnected first, threw the receiver aside, and then jumped out of the pod before running in the direction that he hoped was the way to Starkiller. Had the sun been visible, he would have a better idea on which way to go. But instinct and his drive to get to exactly where he wanted to be as soon as possible gave him all the confidence he would ever need.

For a while, Hux ran on two legs, but a thought struck him out of nowhere. He didn’t bother questioning the idea, he just ran with it. And quite literally too. A feeling of awe filled his body and mind as Hux ran on all fours, his legs and arms adjusting so that his ass didn’t stick up in the air. He felt rather foolish, but it allowed him to be far faster than on two legs. He would even go as far as to say it was fun. Was this how Mitaka and him traveled when in the form of the beast? It was kriffing _exhilarating_!

‘ _Oh galactic hell, I am so infatuated with that beautiful kriffing Mitaka!’_ Hux thought excitedly.

It didn’t take long to hear the sound of a fast moving engine coming Hux’s way, a little to the left. Slowing down enough to get back on two legs, he slowed down and then stopped by the time he saw the snowmobile change direction slightly. He turned to face it, seeing Dr. Ekels driving it. Once he was close enough, he swerved the vehicle around so that it faced Hux sideways, and then came to an abrupt stop. Hux saw a dufflebag on the back compartment, so he forcefully unzipped the biggest pouch and nearly tossed out his clothing.

“Is there something important you forgot about for today, General?” Ekels asked as Hux yanked boxers on. “You sounded very frantic on the call.”

“It is no concern of yours, doctor,” Hux said as he yanked his tank top on over his head and shoved the front down over his chest and then stomach. He didn’t bother adjusting it at his waist before yanking his pants on, jumping a couple inches to get them past his heels and over his ass, and then zipping them. Then he threw his military shirt around behind him before slipping his arms into the smooth, silk sleeves that prevented any scratching sensation on his enhanced flesh. Dr. Ekels watched him the whole time, wondering what all of this was about and why Hux seemed so urgent to return to base. Once he was fully dressed, Hux swung his leg over the secondary seat and then pointed ahead beside Ekels’ head. “If you do not get me there in six minutes, I am going to make sure you only have two patients for the rest of your career, got it?!”

Without a word of acknowledgment, Ekels put the pedal to the metal and rode on fast and hard through the thick, heavy snow that flew up around them because of the big tires. Hux had to grip the seat hard with his knees and legs to not go flying off. He hadn’t wanted to threaten Dr. Ekels, but his mind was too clouded by what he needed to accomplish before it was far too late. There was so much at stake if he didn’t get his way, but he was confident that his trump card would give him _exactly_ what he wanted, the First Order, the Republic, and the Resistance be _damned_!

Well, it appeared that Ekels was allowed to keep his full practice because they made it to the front door of the base with almost a minute to spare. Hux immediately jumped down before it came to a full stop, took long strides a few feet, but then turned back, almost forgetting something.

“Take the snowmobile back and then go to the hangar and wait for me there. We will return to the Finalizer together.”

“Yes, General.”

Facing the wide and open entryway, Hux took a deep breath to calm himself, slicked his hair back with a bit of spit on his hands for a temporary stay, and then placed one foot on the steel floor that had a faint trace of markings embedded in it. Dr. Ekels watched him enter the base with a blank look on his face before getting the snowmobile turned around and riding off for its utility garage. Inside the base, Hux walked through the vast and mostly empty foyer of the base with authority, not looking frantic at all. His heart was pounding hard in his chest, but he took subtle, deep breaths to finish calming down. A few Stormtroopers greeted him quietly as he passed them, but they didn’t get a response in return. Hux was nearing the first few corridors that branched off in different directions, like a maze just without dead ends, when someone dressed all in black came out of a corridor to his right. Seeing the General heading for another one, Kylo Ren’s eyes narrowed at him before he approached him at a brisk pace.

“General Hux, a word!”

“I don’t have time for you, Kylo Ren,” Hux said agitatedly, glancing his way.

“It is quite urgent that I speak with you now.”

Stopping, Hux gritted his teeth, trying not to blow up. He could feel his mostly normal, beating heart quickening again. “You can kriffing _wait_.”

Hux tried to continue, but Ren got in his way, grabbing his shoulder in a death grip. “It has been _days_ since you found the location of our final map piece, General! I want the damn thing _now_!”

Hux jerked himself free, almost surprised by his own strength against the Force-using Knight. “Right now I do not give a _damn_ about the stupid map or the kriffing Order! Now _get-out-of-my-way_!”

Almost instantly, Hux felt goosebumps form on his skin underneath his clothes and the hairs on the back of his neck began to rise when he sensed something coming out of Ren, like steam coming off of wet concrete when the heat of the sun caused the water to evaporate. His werewolf instincts flared up in his gut, yelling at him to make a run for it, but he was frozen. His eyes widened imperceptibly when he began to see wisps of dark, red energy rising around Ren’s body. Hux swallowed when he finally realized it was the energy of the Force. That could only mean one thing: Kylo Ren was _pissed_.

“I certainly hope you do not have a _death wish_ , General,” Ren hissed, getting directly in Hux’s tense face. “Because if _I_ don’t _kill you_ , the Supreme Ruler _will_.”

After staring at Hux with that disturbing mask for a few extra seconds, Ren shoved past him by harshly shouldering him out-of-the-way and walking off. Now that he was alone, a look of terror appeared on Hux’s face and his muscles were tense and a little shaky. His fingers and hands trembled at his sides before he curled them into tight fists. Although the Force was gone now, he still felt its presence lingering over his body since his skin was more sensitive to energy outputs, such as the Force, since he became a werewolf. And now, Hux could even _see_ it when normal people could not. It was almost terrifying to have such power at his disposal. What exactly was he becoming?

A harsh shiver passed through Hux once the air had returned to normal. Shaking himself loose from his anxiety, he inhaled deeply, catching far too many scents than he wanted to at the current time, and then forced his breath out before standing up straight with his head held high. Right now, he had an important matter to deal with, one that _didn’t_ involve the search for the supposed last Jedi, Luke Skywalker.

* * *

Hux stood outside Snoke’s chamber for a long time, replaying and rewording if need be his speech that he would be giving to Snoke very soon. He was anxiety-ridden again, but he paced back and forth to relax his tense body as he thought long and hard about how he would address the Supreme Ruler. Either he would succeed with, hopefully, just a few issues, or he would die and perish, something he _refused_ to allow happen.

‘ _Just remember who you are doing all of this for,’_ Hux thought as he stopped before the opening door. _‘All that matters is_ _ **him**_ _; not the First Order, not the Republic and the Resistance, just him.’_

With a deep breath, Hux ignored his fast beating heart and walked inside, traveling down the lowly lit walkway to Snoke’s throne. The grotesque alien looked down on him with those cold eyes of his, easily sensing every emotion that Hux was feeling right now: fear, anxiety, anger, and determination.

“What is it that you _want_ , General?”

Hux stopped far from the base of the stone chair while looking up with a weak scowl. His body was tense, so he forced a swallow to help calm him. “I have come to talk to you about the decision you made nearly three weeks ago-”

“My decisions will _not_ be questioned, General,” Snoke growled. “I was made perfectly clear between both you and the Lieutenant when it came to this werewolf nonsense that I will not allow you to-”

Hux knew it was a bold and dangerous move, but he had no other choice, so he said loudly, “And _I_ am going to be made perfectly clear to _you_ that I will not allow your _bias_ to come between me and my _Alpha_ simply because you are _afraid_ of what might happen if either of us have another episode while on duty!”

Fear filled Hux as soon as he was done, especially when Snoke forced himself up and stared at him in rage. This was it, Hux was going to die because of his stupid pride.

“You have gravely overstepped your authority against me, General!” Snoke bellowed, hurting Hux’s ears to the point of causing him to tuck his head in in between his shoulders and close his eyes. “If the Starkiller didn’t need your ambitious nature and military expertise to help the First Order succeed in this war, I would not hesitate to destroy you slow and painfully from the inside _out_! You will _never_ question my decisions for you and the Lieutenant so long as you are guiding this organization on my orders! Have I made myself _clear_?!”

There was a long, terrible silence between the two of them. Hux was trying not to shake in rage since he still had his trump card to play. With his hands curling into tight fists, he could feel his nails digging into his palms as they began to grow longer and sharp and he could feel werewolf fangs forming in his mouth, the tips digging into his lower lip as they tried to fully grow and break free. He willed his heart and mind to slow down and relax, but it was proving difficult. If he didn’t get the beast under control, he would do something more drastic than yelling at Snoke that would _assuredly_ get him killed.

“Tread _carefully_ , General,” Snoke continued, his tone almost normal and even now. “I can still invoke my threat at any time I see fit. If you are not careful, you and the Lieutenant will be separated in _definite_ -”

Snoke stopped abruptly when he saw Hux’s lips begin to move. The man wasn’t looking up at him, rather he kept his eyes in one spot of the walkway floor.

“If you do not lift your ordinance against Mitaka and I, Supreme Ruler,” Hux looked up with dark, glaring eyes, the pupil nearly a slit, with a strange flicker of something extremely dangerous passing over the icy blue orbs, “then I will have no _choice_ but to take Mitaka and _leave_ my position _and_ the kriffing First _Order_ …!” For the first time in a long time, Snoke felt an uncomfortable feeling twist up in his body at Hux’s threat. The werewolf growled, showing off deadly fangs. “So what is it going to be, Snoke: putting an end to your pathetic attempts at trying to destroy my Alpha’s and my spiritual bond, or the fate of the First Order if I am _gone_?”

And there it was, the be-all-end-all. If Snoke didn’t recant his ordinance, then Hux would leave the First Order while taking Mitaka with him. Then the two of them would find their own way to make the galaxy theirs, with or without the First Order’s help.

There was a long silence and the wild look in Hux’s eyes didn’t waver, nor did he blink as he continued to stare coldly at Snoke. Soon, the tense, heavy air within the chamber dissipated some and slowly Snoke sat back down, his face blank. They stared hard at each other for a few seconds longer before Snoke heaved a sigh.

“It seems I have underestimated your power, General.” He paused. Hux felt anxious as he waited to hear Snoke’s decision. “Then so be it. I recant my ordinance on you and the Lieutenant.”

A huge wave of relief passed through Hux. He almost felt like he would pass out because of it. “Th-Thank you, Supreme-”

“I am not doing this for you and your _mate_ , General,” Snoke interrupted with a harsh tone. Hux looked away from him finally. “But be warned, Brendol Hux Jr.,” Hux looked up with a peeved look on his face at being referred to by his full name. Leaning forward, Snoke pointed a long, slender finger at him as a sign of warning, “Pull another stunt like this again, and I will destroy you _both_.”

There was a short pause, but then Hux nodded, keeping his head lowered. “Of course, Supreme Ruler.”

With a strange growl, Snoke lowered his hand back on the arm rest of his stone chair and sat back, never taking his eyes off Hux, who was ready to leave that godawful chamber that housed a holographic image of one of the darkest creatures in the entire universe. Although the alien wasn’t physically there, his deadly, archaic energy was heavy and palpable from the hologram. There was a long silence…

“Well, what are you waiting for, General? Find the Lieutenant and tell him what he so desperately wants to hear from your insubordinate mouth.”

A small smirk of triumph pricked the corners of Hux’s mouth for just a second. “Yes, Supreme Ruler, I most certainly will.” Turning on his heel, Hux lifted his head and headed for the door. Snoke stared after him, feeling both infuriated and impressed with him. Reaching the door as it circled open, Hux stopped and glanced back over his shoulder. “Forgive my insolence, Supreme Ruler. And thank you.”

Without waiting to see if Snoke would say or do anything else, Hux finally walked out, wanting to get as far away from there as possible, in case Snoke changed his mind. The doors soon closed, allowing Snoke to slump in his chair, feeling exhausted for no reason. He could still remember the deadly look in Hux’s eyes and feeling a terrible feeling within his deformed body from them. It seemed to Snoke that there was more to the werewolf than meets the eye, something he did not like. But, perhaps, with Mitaka’s very faint, but still fairly innocent, personality, Hux wouldn’t become more out of control than what he just forced Snoke to bear witness to. The potential return of the Jedi was a terrible omen, there was no doubt about that, but for any and all werebeasts, their omen was _far_ worse in comparison. Anyone could easily become one of the Weres, but not Jedi.

“Do not give me any reason to destroy you, General,” Snoke spoke aloud. “Because I would so _hate_ to lose what is rightfully _mine_ …”

* * *

After a few hours of trying to decide how to get down from the alcove and walk through the Finalizer to reach a supply room without being seen and then returning to his room, Mitaka was fully dressed, cap and all, and he was walking around with no set destination in mind. He still felt terribly depressed even after a nice hot shower and heading off to work, but he couldn’t just sit in his quarters all day feeling sorry for himself, so he opted for a stroll.

Mitaka didn’t know what floor he was on, nor how much time had passed since he left his quarters, before he picked up a very familiar scent. Shooting his head up and his eyes widening, Mitaka barely had time to see the person that the scent belonged to come up, grab his arms firmly, and then shove him up against a wall, smashing their mouths together in a desperate, passionate kiss. His eyes remained wide in surprise, even after the kiss ended and he came face-to-face with a frantic Hux.

“I was a goddamn kriffing fool to let that disfigured bastard ruin what we have. As soon as I woke up this morning, I knew I had made a terrible mistake.”

“Hux, what are you-?”

“Let me finish!” Mitaka slammed his mouth shut, his heart pounding madly in his chest. Hux was staring in desperation at him. “I knew I had the threat of being killed on my conscious if I did it, but that was the risk I was willing to take! It was worth the risk because _you_ are worth it and so much more!”

Tears began to form in Mitaka’s eyes. “Hux…”

“I love you, Mitaka! I love you far more than bullshit regulations and the damn Order and the Republic being destroyed once and for all, and especially my pride! I will _never_ stop loving you, and _no one_ has the right to take that away! Not Snoke, not the Republic, not anyone!”

As Mitaka’s tears began to fall, Hux forced their mouths together again, wanting to prove to him that what he said was a hundred percent the truth. He kissed him many times, not caring at all if anyone saw them anymore. Soon, Mitaka kissed weakly back on the next one, closed his eyes that still shed tears, although these were of joy, not sadness, and then kissed a bit more forcefully from then on. Hux’s hands moved to the sides of his neck and he tilted his head slightly to the left for even more passionate kissing.

They made out for a long time, but they were beginning to have trouble breathing and Mitaka started feeling weak in the knees. Lifting his hands, he gripped Hux’s silky smooth, sleeved arms firmly, kissed back a few more times, and then turned his face away. He felt Hux kiss his exposed neck instead since he had been going in for yet another one. Looking past the General, Mitaka saw Captain Phasma standing feet away, staring at them. It was hard to tell what she was feeling or what her face was doing as she watched the passionate displays of affection take place. She soon cleared her throat to get Hux’s attention.

“General…”

Stopping, his body frozen, Hux slowly looked over his shoulder, a weak look of embarrassment appearing on his face. Phasma just continued to stare, waiting for them to finish. After glancing at Mitaka’s blushing face that was turned away, Hux lowered his hands from the Lieutenant’s neck to his arms, and then gently ran them down both as he stood up perfectly straight. He then turned on his heel to face Phasma.

“Yes, Captain, what can I do for you?”

“Excuse my intrusion, General, but we have found the exact coordinates of the final piece of the map that Kylo Ren has been hunting for. I have come to ask for your permission to gather a platoon to take to the planet Jakku.”

Hux was silent momentarily. “Good, then gather whomever you trust to take with you and I will deal with all the paperwork and Kylo Ren. Be sure to inform me of the outcome of the mission upon your return.”

Phasma bowed slightly. “Of course, General.”

“Then go, do what you must.”

“Yes sir.” Hux dismissed her. Turning around, she headed down the corridor, but then stopped, looking back at Hux. “Do not worry, General, your secret is safe with me.”

Hux released a weak snort. “I know it is, Captain.” Phasma gave a nod at Mitaka before continuing on her way, leaving them alone in the empty corridor again. Hux waited a few seconds before relaxing and running his bare hand down his face. “It shouldn’t matter if any of them see us, but-”

Mitaka nodded. “I know.”

Dropping his hand, Hux turned back to him, putting on a smile. “Well, better Captain Phasma than a low grade soldier, right?”

There was a pause before Mitaka smiled softly. “Heh, yeah…”

Returning to stand in front of him, Hux gently cupped Mitaka's cheek, then leaned in for a soft kiss. “I love you, Mitaka.”

Looking elated after such a hard month, Mitaka pressed into Hux, hugging him lovingly while resting the side of his head on his chest.

“I love you too, Hux.”

Pulling back a bit after a few seconds, Mitaka reached up for another kiss and Hux kissed back, both of them finally feeling whole…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update: September 14
> 
> I told you not to get mad at me :)
> 
> PS: I used "Brendol" instead of Hux's canon first name simply because I don't like his canon first name and never will. Just figured I'd give you a heads up on that. It was not an error, it was intentional


	17. Chapter 17

It had been a few days since Hux and Mitaka professed their love for each other and their tense relationship during work hours had gone back to normal. Things were looking up again, much to their relief. However, there was just _two_ minor setbacks…

“General, do you have a minute?”

Looking up from his datapad as he was sitting behind his desk, Hux looked up and saw a low-grade officer standing there, looking very nervous about something. On one end of the desk and sitting along the edge was Lieutenant Mitaka, who was helping Hux go over a long backdrop of reports and files that still needed review and to be stored away in their systems and the Archive.

“Yes, what is it?”

The officer glanced at Mitaka, thinking that sitting, even if it was just an inch of it, on the General’s desk was disrespectful, but he knew better than to bust a Lieutenant’s chops.

“I am afraid that, uh, Captain Phasma’s platoon, which I am a part of, sir, has some…bad news to give.”

Hux lowered the datapad on the desk while Mitaka glanced at the officer from the corner of his eye. “And what, pray tell, has _happened_?”

The officer gulped. “We…lost the droid, sir. It…stole a Corellian YT model freighter and… Well, we believe the defected FN-2187 that helped the pilot escape and a scavenger girl was with it, sir.”

There was an unsettling pause. After a few seconds of staring, Hux lowered his gaze, catching a glimpse of his datapad screen. “Has anyone informed Kylo Ren?”

“N-No sir, all of us are…too afraid to tell him.”

Hux sighed in annoyance. “The First Order does not have time for cowardice…”

The officer looked down at his boots. “Our apologies, General.”

Hux eyed the man for a moment before standing up from his chair. “You are dismissed. I will come up with a way to inform Kylo Ren of this myself.”

“Yes sir. Thank you, sir.”

Hux just waved his hand jerkily at him. With a nod, the officer turned on his heel and left the office. Mitaka had gone back to a report he was scanning, feeling Hux’s ice blue eyes on him.

“What are you currently working on?”

“You still have a back log of reports that I’m reviewing for you,” Mitaka answered, not taking his eyes off the pad. “What are you going to do about Kylo Ren?”

Picking up his datapad, Hux finished what he was doing, turned off the screen, and then pocketed it. “I am still thinking on it. …Here, let’s go for a walk to help me think.”

Nodding, Mitaka got to his feet, turned off the screen while keeping the reports open for later, and then pocketed it. Hux came around the desk and moved to the door, with Mitaka soon in tow. They left the office, standing almost side-by-side, and headed down the corridor. They were silent for a while as Hux thought on what to do about Kylo Ren and the bad news of the droid escaping. There weren’t a lot of options to choose from. Captain Phasma was out of the question because she was far too busy making sure none of the other Stormtroopers defected also, and Hux was out of the question because he had far more important matters to deal with than bear witness to Ren’s childish antics when it came to failure. Then of course it was too risky to send any Stormtroopers or other minor officers to him since they feared the Knight and they couldn’t afford to lose them. So who did that leave off?

“Hey Mitaka, what do you think of Kylo Ren?”

Perking up, Mitaka looked up, seeing Hux staring at him. “What do I think of him how?”

“Just anything.”

They both stopped in a deserted corridor to let Mitaka think. He stared up at the ceiling with a slightly tilted head. “I don’t know, I have only met him once or twice.” Lowering his gaze, Mitaka added, “He’s not my most favorite person in the galaxy, but I guess he’s okay. Sort of.”

Hux turned around to face him properly. “Are you afraid of him?”

Mitaka gave him a strange look. “I wouldn’t say that, but-”

“Then how would you feel if I asked _you_ to inform Kylo Ren about the droid?”

Mitaka’s eyes widened. “Wait, what? Me?! Couldn’t Captain Phasma do it?”

Hux gave him a stern look. “No, she is far too busy to deal with him. Not to mention it would be beneath her to perform such a menial task. You, on the other hand, have just high enough of a rank to take on such responsibilities and you work for me. Besides, you’re a werewolf, remember? You are the best candidate for the job.”

Mitaka scowled weakly at him, thinking that these weren’t sound enough reasons to be convinced that he should be the one to do it. “I really don’t think-”

Lifting his hand, Hux pressed his finger to Mitaka’s lips to silence him. “You are going to inform Kylo Ren that the droid was lost on Jakku, that’s an order.”

Jerking his face away, Mitaka growled deeply but weak in his throat at Hux. “I hate it when you pull rank on me.”

Hux smiled deviously. “I know, that’s why I do it.”

‘ _Blast it all,’_ Mitaka thought. Turning sideways, he looked at Hux out of his peripheral vision. “I had better get something good in return for this…”

“Oh I am sure I could come up with _something_ while you are gone,” Hux said with a wry smile.

Mitaka snorted. Turning all the way around, he placed his cap back on his head with one hand and then headed down the corridor. “Why do I get the feeling I’m going to regret this?” he muttered.

As Mitaka walked off, Hux stared after him, his face holding a bit of sternness to it. Yes, he knew there could be repercussions since he knew Kylo Ren just enough to know how dangerous he could be when angered—losing the droid was definitely high on his list of rage triggers—but Hux was confident in Mitaka. Hux just hoped he wasn’t wrong.

Turning to the right, Hux headed down a side corridor, having a lot of work to do to plan for another shot at capturing the BB droid.

Elsewhere, Mitaka was nearing the area where he was told Kylo Ren was located, getting even more apprehensive with each passing second. He kept muttering to himself on how he would word his report to the hot-headed Force user, each one always ending in the Knight getting seriously pissed off. And Mitaka’s whole day so far had been so pleasant…

Stopping dead in his tracks minutes later, Mitaka felt his heart race in his chest as he stared at the door that would lead him to Kylo Ren. He swallowed hard to gather his nerves before stepping a foot closer to the door. It slid open, allowing him entry. A cold numbness filled his body at the prospect of what he was about to do.

As Mitaka entered the elongated but cramped room, he instantly felt and sensed the dark and light energy of the Force flow over his entire body, making him shiver unpleasantly. Halfway in stood Kylo Ren, his robbed back to the Lieutenant as he came up behind him, taking off his cap. The Knight barely turned his head to glance over his shoulder, seeing the nervous Mitaka standing and waiting for him to acknowledge his presence. Although he couldn’t see the Knight’s eyes, Mitaka could still feel them piercing into him, and even possibly his soul.

‘ _Kriff, I have made a huge mistake,’_ Mitaka thought. His Adam’s apple moved up and down noticeably as he swallowed nervously. Well, it was now or never, he supposed. “Sir, we were…unable to acquire the droid on Jakku.” There was a pause, but then Ren turned his face to Mitaka more, staying eerily silent. Mitaka swallowed again, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck rise at the look. “It escaped capture aboard a stolen Corellian YT model freighter.”

There was a pause, but then-

“The droid…stole a _freighter_?” Ren asked, surprisingly in a calm tone.

In his mind Mitaka was thinking, _‘Well of-kriffing-_ _ **course**_ _it didn’t do that, you crazy nuthead,’_ but instead he said, “Not exactly, sir. It had help.” Although Mitaka couldn’t see it, he could hear Ren lifting his sword lightsaber hilt out of its holster attached to his hip. He could easily sense Ren’s growing anger. “We have no confirmation, but we believe FN-2187 may have helped in the escape-”

His sentence barely made it all the way out before Kylo Ren raised his lightsaber, turned it on at the same time, and began to hack violently at the wall and console he was standing in front of. Wildly, the dangerous sparks of red plasma from the cracked kyber crystal as it hit the metal and electrical conduits within the wall and console went everywhere. As they came at Mitaka, he cowered away, mentally telling himself not to whimper like a dog, lest he give away his secret to the tantrum-induced Knight. Out of nowhere, a huge, hot spark struck the left side of Mitaka’s face, forcing him to jerk his head away and hunch his shoulders up.

It seemed like forever before Kylo Ren stopped his onslaught on the poor wall and console and turned on his heel to face Mitaka. With the energy and sparks gone, the Lieutenant carefully straightened out, keeping his heavy breathing behind tightly pressed lips.

“Is there anything _else_ you wish to inform me about, you insignificant little _cockroach_?” Ren hissed angrily.

Being called insignificant, little, and a cockroach didn’t sit well with Mitaka at all, but he knew better than to voice his irritation, so he thought back to what he had planned to say when he got there. Trying to seem brave, even though his heart was beating a million times a minute, Mitaka stood straight and tall, swallowing again to keep his voice steady.

“The two were accompanied by…a girl-”

For just a split second, time seemed to stand still. Very gradually, Mitaka’s eyes, which were full of fright, widened, his brow furrowed in the center. The air was dangerously hostile all over and around him as he sensed and could almost see the terrible energy striking out at him like lightning. Immediately, he could no longer breathe as hand-shaped energy wrapped around his throat tight and lifted him so that the tips of his boots barely touched the floor. Mitaka gritted his teeth behind parted lips as he glided towards Ren, who had his arm and hand outstretched. He then firmly closed his eyes when the Knight’s actual hand gripped his neck painfully, the tips of his fingers digging just underneath the back of his jaw. As Kylo Ren lifted him higher, one of Mitaka's eyes opened and quivered as he glanced down at the Knight. A weak, but loud growl formed in his chest and at the base of his closed-off throat. By his sides, his fingers crackled as they bent unnaturally and his nails grew longer and sharp, but he quickly curled them into fists, feeling them bite into his flesh. He was also gritting his teeth so hard that they ground together and he could feel fangs starting to grow and trying to break free.

“What _girl_?” Ren hissed.

It took almost every ounce of Mitaka’s willpower not to let the beast take over his mind as it sensed that their life was in danger the longer Ren gripped his neck so tight that it felt like it would snap. If his eyes gained the dangerous and wild look to them and Ren noticed, unspeakable things could probably happen, things Mitaka didn’t want happening. He had let the beast ruin one person’s life already, he couldn’t ruin another.

“A-A-A…sca-scavenger…o-on Jakku,” Mitaka strained to say.

After what seemed like an eternity of losing almost enough oxygen to reveal his true potential to Kylo Ren, the Knight turned slightly to the side while throwing Mitaka away with most of his strength. Mitaka’s entire body crashed into another wall before he dropped to the floor on his hip and stomach. He lay there, unmoving, for a few seconds, but then he slammed his hand and claws into the concrete. With the use of his hands for leverage, he pushed his aching chest off the floor. His eyes suddenly snapped open wide and his pupil quickly became a slit. Protruding from his upper lip were canine fangs that glistened with saliva. At this point, Mitaka didn’t care if Kylo Ren saw him like this. The beast wanted payback. _Badly_.

As Mitaka parted his fangs, a low, gravely growl drifted from his mouth and intensified. Murderous intent was heavily evident in his eyes as they quivered violently. As they flashed, he turned while throwing his crouching body, striking out with his claws of his right hand. They slashed into nothing but air, causing Mitaka to fall onto his shoulder as he finished his swipe. As he landed on his side like a wounded animal, he growled behind deadly fangs while closing his eyes. At the last second, he had seen that the room was empty, sans the control panels and machinery all over. It took Mitaka a moment to realize that Ren had left just one or two seconds before his full changes appeared, so there was a very good chance that the Knight hadn’t seen anything that would ruin Mitaka’s secrecy.

As he lay there, Mitaka’s werewolf features began to disappear and the dark air dissipated. When the last claw vanished to be replaced by his fingernails, he opened his back-to-normal eyes, growling weakly.

Mitaka didn’t get up for a while. He just needed some time to let the terror and anger leave his system before getting up to leave. Flashing quickly in his mind, he saw what he had just witnessed and dealt with, sending a harsh tremor down his spine. A strange cold washed over him, making his body tighten and shake. A whimper was released seconds later.

The swish of a door opening forced Mitaka’s eyes to snap open. He had no idea how long he had been in the partly ruined room for, nor how long he had laid there. He wasn’t even sure if he had collapsed into unconsciousness for some time or had just made himself lie there to regain strength. The answers to those inquiries would have to wait, though, when he felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder. He flinched violently as he rolled slightly in order to swipe out at whoever was crouched beside him.

“HAR-ah!”

“No, hey, it’s just me!” Mitaka stared wide eyed and frightened up at Hux, who had a look of concern on his face. As the Lieutenant parted his lips, they trembled softly as he took in the General’s form. His breathing became erratic, but was quiet and his heart thumped loudly and hard in his chest. “Are you alright? What happened?!”

There was a pause, and then Mitaka stopped breathing altogether. As his eyes rolled up into his head, his tense body and mind collapsed into deep unconsciousness.

* * *

Dark brown eyes fluttered open. There was a faint light from a lamp opposite them. They moved back and forth slowly, trying to find any hint on where they were.

Lieutenant Mitaka was laying flat out on his back in a large, comfortable bed in a room that wasn’t his. He stared up at the steel ceiling for a short time before turning his head to the left. As he did, a muscle in his neck tightened and sent a shock wave of pain through it. He growled, slamming his hand to it, feeling a light abrasion in his flesh. What had happened to him to have such injuries? He couldn’t remember when or what occurred to be in this situation. And where was he?

Across from the bed was a desk and General Hux was sitting in his high backed chair, reading something on his datapad and making marks with his finger from time to time. Hearing the growl of pain behind him, he pulled the tip of his finger away from the screen and then looked back over his shoulder. When he saw Mitaka up and rubbing his sore neck, he quickly set the datapad down and stood up.

“Mitaka?”

Hearing the familiar voice that he had grown to admire and love, Mitaka switched hands on his neck to look straight ahead. “Hux?” His voice was tired and soft. “Where-?”

Quickly reaching the side of the bed, Hux sat along the edge by Mitaka’s side and reached over to his cheek, resting a gentle gloved hand to it. “You are in my quarters. When I didn’t hear back from you after your meeting with Kylo Ren, I located you and found you on the floor. You were very shaken up when I touched you. …What happened at that meeting?”

Mitaka was staring up at Hux strangely, as if he had completely forgotten how to function. He wished he could tell the man what he knew, but at the moment he was drawing up blanks. He did remember that Hux ordered him to tell the Knight the report of the failed mission on Jakku, but everything else after that was black. It took him a moment to remember that he didn’t have this neck injury—there was also an odd pressured pain under his jaw bone that he hadn’t felt until now—before the meeting, so where and when had he gotten it?

“I don’t…remember-”

Gently grabbing Mitaka’s hand on his neck, Hux pulled it away to assess the damage. “I found you with strange markings on your neck and throat. They’re mostly healed now because of the werewolf gene. Do you remember how you got those?” Mitaka carefully shook his head, not wanting to re-injure his neck. Hux frowned. “They looked an awful lot like fingers-”

At that hint, Mitaka’s meeting with Kylo Ren flashed quickly through his mind and a harsh tremor ran down his spine. An unsettling air filled the room.

“Kylo…Force choked-” Mitaka stopped as he felt violently ill as that part of the memory came back. “Kriff, shit, the beast, it…I almost…” Leaning over his body, Hux moved his hand cupping his cheek to his stomach and rubbed soothing circles over his tank top. He had removed Mitaka’s tunic before laying him out on the bed to ride out his unconsciousness. Closing his eyes tight, Mitaka hissed in disapproval at himself. “I kriffed up, Hux. I couldn’t, c-control myself. I just-”

With his other hand, Hux ran two caressing fingers down the side of his face. “It’s alright. Something tells me he didn’t see a thing.”

Opening his eyes halfway, Mitaka exhaled out of his nose. “I certainly hope so…” Hux smiled faintly at him but didn’t say anymore about it. Turning his face away to the right, Mitaka closed his eyes and took in a really deep breath before letting it out. “I knew I was going to regret following your orders…”

At that mention, Hux lowered his gaze, feeling disappointed in himself. “No, I shouldn’t have given it to you at all. I should have sent one of the Captains. I misjudged Kylo Ren’s power compared to yours. The Force is a formidable and deadly power…”

Mitaka glanced at Hux out of the corner of his eye before turning his face to him. “I’ll be fine. I’m more resilient than I look.”

Hux smiled in admiration. “I know.”

Lifting his hand from the bed, Mitaka rested it on Hux’s that was still rubbing his stomach. “There are _plenty_ of ways you can make it up to me, just in case you feel so inclined.”

Mitaka said this with a smirk, making Hux grin mischievously down at him as he leaned further in. “That can definitely be _arranged_ …”

They closed their eyes as they kissed, Hux moving his hand to the bed on Mitaka’s other side. His other hand cupped his cheek to kiss more passionately, but it softly glided to the base of his neck at the back, his fingers digging into the nape of his hair. With his own hands, Mitaka reached for the man’s stomach, grabbing the front of his belt and unclasping it slowly. He released the left end and then pulled it along the bed to drop it to the floor with the right. As Mitaka worked on getting the General’s pants open and pulled down, Hux moved his kisses to his bruised neck, mentally apologizing for his earlier indiscretions with each one.

Hux couldn’t see, only felt, that Mitaka was pushing his pants off his hips. After a few more gentle kisses, he lifted his head a few inches to stare at Mitaka’s boyish face, a faint presence of lust filling his body and being revealed in his eyes. Mitaka was breathing a little heavier than normal as he stared back, trying to get the boxer shorts down next.

“Later, I will give Kylo Ren a piece of my kriffing mind about what happened to you before, repercussions be damned,” he said haughtily, before kissing Mitaka again, more firmly this time.

Smiling, Mitaka kissed back harder while moving his hands to his own waist. Hux had removed his belt earlier so that it wouldn’t dig into his waist too much, so all he had to do was unzip his pants and reach in between his legs to squeeze his crotch. Feeling his movements to the left of his body, Hux sat up straight, stood up to step up onto the bed, and landed on his knees to help Mitaka pull off his pants and boxers. The Lieutenant kicked them off the rest of the way, which allowed Hux to spread Mitaka’s legs out and bend them at the knee to get between them. By now, Mitaka’s breathing was heavy and loud as lust filled his entire body, wanting so badly to have Hux buried deep inside of him.

“H-Hux, p-please, fuck me. I-Its been so _long_ …”

Reaching up, Hux cupped his cheek with affection, leaned in to kiss him briefly, and then said, “Anything for my Alpha.”

Although Hux didn’t believe in such things as Alphas and Betas and Omegas in pack mentalities, he thought it appropriate to call Mitaka that at this very moment. He just really wanted to make his bad decision to order Mitaka into telling Kylo Ren about the droid up to him, so he would say or do anything for him.

Once Mitaka was ready to be prepared, Hux looked at his bedside table and reached over to pull it open. He then reached in, having to search around for whatever he was looking for. Mitaka, meanwhile, was pulling on his penis to help get his body aroused for the deliciousness to come. He was breathing heavy, hot air and weak sounds that weren’t quite moans and groans came from his throat. He then saw what Hux had been looking for in his hand: a dispenser of internal body lube. Squirting a good sized glob full into his palm, Hux spread it out before grabbing his penis and slicking it up with the cool liquid. He masturbated a bit in order to start becoming erect, and then he was ready to apply the lube to Mitaka’s ass.

Dispensing lube on two fingers, Hux mixed them together before reaching under Mitaka’s balls and pressing his middle finger to his puckered hole. The Lieutenant closed his eyes as he gasped when it pressed in well enough, but he was far from ready to have Hux’s cock in him yet. Gradually, Mitaka’s penis was starting to turn erect, so he wrapped his hand underneath the length instead of on top of it and started to masturbate. As both ends were worked on, he felt pleasure spread all the way through his lower body and his toes dug into the mattress.

Hux started getting his pointer finger into Mitaka’s hole that had widened to fit with his middle finger. As the tip went in, he carefully spread them to make more room before pushing the rest of the finger inside. He twisted and turned them around to coat his lover’s inner walls with the lube and then spread them when the muscle and flesh allowed them to. After doing this a few times, Mitaka was ready for the real thing.

With his legs bent to the sides behind him, Hux sat on the bed, scooted forward while grabbing the base of his hardening member, and then led the head to Mitaka’s cheeks.

“Are you ready?” he asked, looking up.

Pushing up with his elbow, Mitaka kissed Hux hard briefly before laying back down and placing his hands on the base of the General’s back. Nodding, Hux placed the head to Mitaka’s spread cheeks and then pressed inside, slow and gentle. Mitaka bit back a gasp as he was filled to the hilt. Placing his hands on the Lieutenant’s groins, Hux pulled his hips back and then thrust in, starting out slowly. Under normal circumstances, he would be hard and rough halfway to his climax, but he could sense that Mitaka was still a little upset because of Kylo Ren’s abuse hours before, so tonight would strictly be vanilla. Besides, Hux was more than capable of being kind when it came to Mitaka and Mitaka alone.

Even though he was incapable of reading Hux’s face when it looked almost blank like this, Mitaka could tell he would hold back tonight after what he went through earlier that day. But that was alright, it would be nice to have a change of pace.

About a minute and a few seconds passed before Hux had the right amount of thrust strength and speed that he wanted. With his right hand, he grabbed Mitaka’s shaft with just his fingers, his thumb touching the vein on the underside, and began to move them back and forth to help him reach orgasm. Mitaka’s fingertips dug into Hux’s skin on his lower back as his body moved back with each thrust, leaving white marks that disappeared after a few seconds. Sometimes his hands slid back when he didn’t have strong enough of a grip, so he was able to feel Hux’s soft, round ass cheeks that were just the perfect size. Mitaka had the urge to squeeze them, but he felt embarrassed about the thought. Hux seemed to sense his apprehensive urges because he reached back with his free hand, grabbed Mitaka’s own, and made him dig his fingers into his skin. A deep blush formed on the Lieutenant’s face.

“You have my permission to do whatever you want to me, as long as it’s not physically visible later.”

Mitaka swallowed, but then nodded. “Okay.”

Smiling softly, Hux lowered his hand back down, this time on the bed, and continued thrusting in a deep, but slow, even pace. As Mitaka tilted his head back as he moaned softly, Hux lowered his mouth to the front of his neck and gently kissed the faint bruising. He also licked and nuzzled it, sending pleasant shivers down the Lieutenant’s body. As he moved a bit faster and thrust much deeper, Mitaka dug his nails against Hux’s lower back, leaving marks behind. He turned his face to one side to pant and moan into the air, one hand staying on the man’s back while the other grabbed the same-side ass cheek to dig his fingers in the soft flesh.

Hux soon moved one hand to the base of Mitaka’s leg at the back, gripped it firmly, and then helped move his body forward as he thrust. Throwing his head back, Mitaka cried out as the deep penetration reached his prostate.

“Ah Hux!”

Leaning over him again, Hux was panting and groaning faintly as he lightly licked the small spot below Mitaka’s sternum before kissing and practically sucking his flesh into his mouth. Mitaka’s right hand moved to the back of his head, gripping his red hair firmly near the base. He then closed his eyes as he continued to moan and call out Hux’s name.

Moaning now, Hux had almost his full body on top of Mitaka as he continued to thrust at a medium speed and with a lot of force behind it. The Lieutenant had his arms wrapped around his back with his fingers digging into his flesh near his spine. Their moans and groans of pleasure mixed together, creating an ensemble that drove them both over the edge.

“Ah, ah, hah, ah fu-! AAH!”

Mitaka was the first to come all over their chests and stomachs, feeling it smear into their skin and getting them wet and sticky. His now limp penis hung to the side, dripping cum from the head. Hux could feel it rubbing against his flesh as his hips pressed hard against the backs of Mitaka’s thighs. He could feel his own orgasm coming on strong, so he used the last thirty or so seconds to pound into him fast and hard.

“AH FUCK, HUX!”

After a few more, deep piercing thrusts, Hux held the last one in as he came fast and hard, filling Mitaka to the brim. As he gradually emptied all of it, a long moan of satisfaction escaped him. Mitaka collapsed to the bed after his back had been arched some, panting heavily. Slowly, Hux relaxed his thrust and pulled out, then collapsed on top of him as they regained their breaths.

Once everything was calming down, Mitaka wrapped his arms around Hux’s upper back, running his hand through his hair. The General shifted to get his aching legs stretched out behind him and then he turned his head to one side to rest it on Mitaka’s sternum and part of his ribs. They cuddled like this for a while with their eyes closed, feeling content.

“Do you feel better now?” Hux asked a while later.

Opening his eyes, Mitaka looked down at him, placing his hand on the back of his head after a final pet. “Much.”

Turning his head and then lifting it a few inches, Hux looked at Mitaka’s chest, breathed a gust of air on him, and then planted a soft kiss. “Do you remember…” He kissed another spot, “…how I said you were…” And another, “…handsome?”

As Hux continued to plant soft, loving kisses to Mitaka’s torso, the Lieutenant kneaded his fingers in his hair and on his scalp. “Mh-hm…”

After a few more, Hux looked at Mitaka’s face while resting his chin on his sternum. “Well I take it back. You’re not handsome, you’re absolutely _gorgeous_.”

Mitaka blushed lightly but he smiled weakly, looking away from Hux’s face. “Well I think you’re-” His face turned more red. “Never mind, it’s embarrassing.”

Laying folded arms on Mitaka’s chest, Hux put his head on them. “No, you have to tell me.” With one hand, he lightly touched Mitaka’s skin. “What adjective would you give me?”

Looking up and lifting his hands to Hux’s head, Mitaka trailed his fingers through his hair. “Promise not to laugh?”

“I promise.”

Mitaka gently touched the edges of Hux’s hair line with the tips of his fingers while examining them. “I may have referred to you as General Huxsome by accident to other people once.” Unable to help himself, the corners of Hux’s lips went up in a grin. Mitaka noticed right away, giving the General a pouting look. “You promised not to laugh!”

“I’m not _laughing_ , I’m smiling; there’s a difference.”

The look Mitaka was giving Hux made him curl his lips into his mouth, an amused snort escaping his nose. Mitaka gently smacked him in the shoulder.

“See, you’re doing it now!”

“Well of course _now_ I am, but whose fault is that?!”

“No, bad Huxy!” Well that was certainly the last straw that broke the camel’s back because Hux closed his eyes as he burst out laughing. “No, stop it! It’s not, ah-ha, f-funny! No, I said q-quit it!”

As Hux rolled off of him, still laughing mirthfully, Mitaka couldn’t hold it back any longer either and he rolled onto his side to curl up as he burst into tears from laughing. They did this for a good twenty or so seconds before they recomposed and Hux lay on his back while Mitaka stayed on his side, only partly curled now. He took one final breath before the room was silent.

Mitaka suddenly yawned as his body and mind began to shut down after the exhausting and hard day with the Kylo Ren incident. Wanting to get more comfortable, he dragged himself further up the bed, grabbed the pillow with his arms, and then got it situated under the side of his head. He laid there for some time before he felt Hux move up behind him, placing a caressing hand on his arm. Laying on his side behind Mitaka, the General pressed his full frontal body up against him, aligning their bodies perfectly. Hux then laid his arm over Mitaka’s side, resting his hand near his hip to hold onto him. Inhaling, he pressed and gently rubbed his face in the silky black hair, taking in Mitaka’s somewhat bitter scent.

Once Hux stopped moving and had his head resting on the other pillow, Mitaka grabbed his arm with his opposite hand, pulling it up a little higher to get a good grip. He then rolled his upper body over, closing his eyes lightly as he went in for a kiss. Feeling the supple, soft lips on his own, slightly firmer ones, Hux reciprocated the kiss, drawing it out for a few seconds. After a second one, Mitaka relaxed and lowered his head back down on the pillow, inhaling deeply once more. Then, before they knew it, they both drifted off to sleep, spooning all the way through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Triple Update: September 18, 21, and 25 (a single night cut into three parts)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to forewarn you all, there WILL be mate courtship (aka werewolf smut) but it will be clearly marked, so if you wanna skip it, just find “(/mating)” (without quotes) and continue reading from there
> 
> I figured not a lot of people would be into that kind of thing, so I wanted to be nice and give you all a heads up. You’re welcome :) Otherwise, I hope you like it!

 

Things just weren’t falling into their proper place for the First Order lately. There had been many setbacks and re-planning, arguments between the different officers on what should be done about the Republic and Resistance, who seemed to be always one step ahead of them every week, Kylo Ren and General Hux, sometimes with Captain Phasma in tow, had been butting heads one too many times, one such case causing Hux to be so stressed out that he went into heat again, which nearly cost him his secrecy, and just all around bad luck was causing the Order grief. Now the end of the month had arrived and their luck wasn’t getting any better, especially since two of their own would soon be incapacitated after a long night that they never saw coming.

Later that night, on the surface of Starkiller, Hux and Mitaka woke up from their grueling transformations after passing out from the pain and, as soon as they saw each other, their exhaustion went right out the window. Since they hadn’t been together the last time, it was a relief to finally see each other again. They wrestled and rolled around in the soft snow packs, playfully growling and barking at each other as if they were saying things like, “where were you?”, “you’re here!”, “I missed you so much!”, and so on. It was just an overall happy reunion and it ended minutes later with Hux being on top of Mitaka and licking his face. The black werewolf stuck his tongue out playfully between his lips and teeth, shoving a hand-paw into his chest. With a wolfish smile, Hux leaned further over him to rub his head underneath his chin with affection, murring as their warm bellies came together.

[(CAN YOU FEEEEEEEEL THE LOOOOOVE TONIIIIIIIGHT!)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h67RkwnchsI)

Wrapping his arms around Hux, Mitaka pulled him flush against his body, licking the side of his neck and then gently biting him affectionately. He then quickly rolled them over, shoving Hux into the snow by sitting on his stomach and shoving his hand-paws into his shoulders. He stared at him with a mischievous grin, growling lowly in his throat. Hux blinked up at him in response, not sure how to react. What did Mitaka’s body language and facial expression even mean?

(mating)

If animals could do it, Hux would be blushing right now. His eyes were wide as Mitaka began to grind his crotch against his abdomen, and he could feel his sheath rub against him. So _that’s_ what Mitaka was up to.

At first Hux didn’t know if he was okay with doing this since this was only their third night out of four together, but he felt something strange stirring within him. His heart began to race in his chest and he soon realized he was breathing heavier. Wanting to do something so that he wasn’t just staring at Mitaka like an idiot, Hux hesitantly moved one hand-paw to his furry knee and gently caressed it, just in case the black werewolf didn’t like it. Much to his relief, Mitaka grabbed his hand and led it onto his thigh above the knee as a sign that it was fine. Hux ran his thumb across it, keeping his eyes on Mitaka’s lewd face.

“Grrng…”

Hux’s body shifted at the waist as he felt something else start to build up, this time between his legs. His heart started skipping a couple of beats. He soon opened his mouth to breathe harder. Mitaka now had his eyes closed as his snout faced the sky, growling and murring as he ground a little faster and harder on Hux’s stomach. Out of his peripherals, the red werewolf saw something begin to poke out of Mitaka’s sheath. It was pointy on the end and it was a deep red color. It took a moment for his werewolf brain to register what it and the feeling between his legs was, and then it all became clear to him.

Mitaka was in heat. With Hux being the only other werewolf around, he was trying to relieve himself on him. Hopefully this was the only thing that he planned on doing? Or was Hux going to have to be courted like a male would to a female? That actually sent an intense shiver up his spine.

By now, the red penis was halfway out of the sheath and had a shining layer of liquid covering it. Hux could feel it mix into his belly fur the more Mitaka rubbed it against him. Both of them had clouds of their heavy breaths around their snouts. Growls and other animalistic noises hovered around them over time. That feeling between Hux’s legs was getting stronger now and it made him whimper since it was such an intense feeling. Mitaka seemed to sense what was wrong, because he moved back and off Hux’s stomach to reveal what was happening. A loud, hungry-sounding growl came out of the red werewolf when he saw his own red penis sticking out and leaking. To help him gain release, Mitaka pressed their crotches together, their penises and sheaths on top of one another, and then returned to grinding against Hux. After a minute of this act, their knots were out and they could both feel themselves coming to orgasm. Hux had his back arched as he growled and panted, his head thrown back at an angle.

“Grarrr…”

A look of disappointment and despair appeared on Hux’s face when Mitaka stopped grinding abruptly. They had been so close, so why did he quit? It wasn’t until the black werewolf moved off his hips and sat on the ground in between his spread legs that it became clear. Hux whined, not sure if he could do this. Hearing his duress, Mitaka gently pawed his stomach in a comforting gesture while smiling at him. Hux was tense for a while, but as he saw the caring face of his black-furred companion, a calmness overcame him. He let out a breath from his nose before turning his head away to brace himself. Murring in reassurance, Mitaka gradually moved forward, pressing his leaking tip against Hux’s hole. Hux’s body shivered before Mitaka shoved his penis inside, only halfway at first.

“Arp!”

Slamming his hand-paws on the ground, Hux tried to push his body away from Mitaka, but the black werewolf grabbed his waist and held him down. He whined in apology before shoving his penis in even more. Hux growled in pain and he whimpered, hoping it would all be over soon. He yelped again after several thrusting motions and he felt the knot at his exposed muscle, waiting to go in.

“Rrrmh, hrrrm, errr-ark!”

Eyes that he hadn’t realized were closed shot open and Hux stared at Mitaka, figuring out that he had stopped. His eyes then widened when the black werewolf grabbed under the base of his back, lifted him off the ground near the middle of his spine, and then leaned his whole body on top of him. Hux whimpered and whined when Mitaka started moving inside of him again, slowly and gently this time. Their bodies moved forward and back in sync with each other in this position and the red werewolf realized it was less painful this way, for some reason. Maybe it was because Mitaka was cuddling him at the same time? Was that a comfort he thought he should try?

Feeling slightly better about the situation, Hux lifted his hand-paws to place them at Mitaka’s waist and back. They both opened their mouths to pant heavily and growl weakly. Once Mitaka felt Hux’s body begin to relax beneath him, he started humping a little faster, only reaching in about two inches from the knot. Minutes passed and Hux and Mitaka were both releasing animalistic sounds from their mouths as they mated in the snow. The black werewolf slipped his arms under the small of Hux’s back to hold him before the hardest part came. He was now ready to knot Hux until they both came.

Mitaka licked Hux’s stomach in reassurance and comfort before moving his hips in closer to the red werewolf’s thighs. Hux whined, knowing it was coming, so he closed his eyes tight to brace for it. As Mitaka shoved his hips forward hard and abrupt, the knot shoved all the way in, forcing a howl of absolute pain from Hux’s snout. To avoid changing his mind about the whole thing, Mitaka started humping into his ass fast and hard, the knot slipping out briefly before being shoved back in. It was very painful for the first half minute, but once Hux was used to it, he felt really good. His howls now turned into a song of passion, which just urged Mitaka to sit back up, grab Hux’s waist with both hands hard, and yank him forward with each thrust. Now his knot stayed right inside and he felt his release coming on fast and strong.

“HAR, HARR, HAR, ARH, AH-ARH!” Unable to help himself, Hux was now jerking his lower body forward to meet Mitaka’s thrusts, snarling and howling at how amazing it felt. “HAAARRRRR…AH-AARP!”

As their lower bodies came pounding together, Mitaka finally burst, thick, hot cum shooting out of his penis and filling Hux deeply. Mitaka howled until he was empty and then he collapsed forward on top of Hux, panting and snarling loudly.

Now that it was all over, Mitaka began to pull out very slowly, feeling his softened knot popping free from Hux’s ass. Gradually, the black werewolf’s penis returned to its sheath and he lifted himself off his companion with his hands pushing on the ground. Hux growled weakly up at him since his penis was still out. It actually began to ache and fluid was leaking from the tip, but he wanted his own release, whether he did it inside of Mitaka or not.

Somehow Mitaka understood what was wrong with Hux because he stood up, got turned around, and then went back to sitting on Hux’s stomach again. Growling, the red werewolf shoved his hand-paws into Mitaka’s back, trying to push him off, but the black werewolf just leaned over, grabbed Hux’s waist with his arms and hands, and then let his tongue hang out before he gave the penis a nice, thick, wet lick. Hux threw his head back as he snarled in surprise. Ignoring the odd taste, Mitaka continued to lick the red penis with his tongue, sometimes pressing it roughly on the bottom side, and eventually getting it into his mouth. He also breathed heavily on it to help with creating heat for the blood to rise.

Hux could feel his orgasm coming on fast and hard. He was snarling and growling and panting at the delectable feeling that came with it. Eventually, he tried to buck his hips to shove it into Mitaka’s mouth, knot and all, but the grip on his hips tightened. He whined when the black werewolf only used his tongue to stimulate him. All Hux wanted was to come so _badly_!

Finally just getting sick of it, Hux forced his back off the ground, wrapped his arms around Mitaka’s ribs, and then tried to throw him off. Immediately, Mitaka pulled his mouth and snout away from the leaking penis and twisted his upper body around to shove his hand-paws into Hux’s chest and the underside of his jaw. He pushed his head back as far as it could go, growling in annoyance at him. Getting an idea suddenly, Hux jerked his head to the side, twisted it to get under Mitaka’s passing arm as his hand hit air, and then bit him in the collar bone and part of his shoulder. The bite wasn’t a flesh-tearing one, but it was strong enough to prevent letting go. Mitaka snarled in anger, placing his hand on Hux’s stomach to the side of his head instead. He tried to shove him off, but his teeth held firm.

They held this position for a while, neither one getting enough leeway to break out of the hold. It was hard, but Mitaka managed to get his lower half turned around and on the ground. Hux quickly wrapped his arm around Mitaka’s neck, forcing the rest of his body to the ground. Mitaka scrambled to get away, clawing at the ground and kicking his paws in the snow, but the teeth bit in harder. Somehow, Hux maneuvered his body around to get on top of Mitaka, deciding that it was his turn to court him.

Eventually the black werewolf gave up, realizing it was only fair to endure the same thing Hux had, knot and all. Sensing that he was given permission, Hux slowly released his neck just in case, sat up with his hands pressing on Mitaka’s back, and then moved back to get his knees around his legs. Still holding Mitaka down, Hux found his own ass hole, moved the tip of his penis to it, and then thrust forward, shoving all the way in at one time.

“YIPE!”

With a throaty growl, Hux grabbed Mitaka’s quivering hips, forcing his ass higher in the air as he got on one foot and stayed on one knee. Mitaka growled while looking back at him, glaring. Murring as if to say, “it’s payback time”, Hux gripped the hips tighter, gave Mitaka a leering expression, and then thrust in hard once, feeling his knot pressing to Mitaka’s stretching hole. Without further hesitation, Hux pulled back and then thrust forward, yanking Mitaka back to meet them. The black werewolf yelped again but decided to take it like a fair mate.

Hux started out slow and avoided knotting him right now, always yanking Mitaka back by the hips as he humped him. It didn’t take long before he was desperate for release, so he moved faster within seconds and his knot kept pounding against Mitaka’s cheeks. Mitaka’s tail ended up wrapping around Hux so that it wasn’t in the way of his body as he leaned further over him. They were both panting and making pleasured animal sounds now and Mitaka felt ready to be knotted. Hux was more than eager to give him, and himself, what he wanted.

On his next thrust about two minutes later, Hux drove in hard, the knot being swallowed up whole. Mitaka released a pleasured howl by throwing his head back. When it ended, he dropped his head, pressed his hand-paws hard into the ground, and then shoved his body up off the ground while pressing back against Hux. The red werewolf growled in approval before starting to hump him fast and hard again.

Th night was just filled with Hux and Mitaka’s howls and growls of their mating ritual. Reaching back with his right hand, Mitaka dug his fingers into Hux’s ass cheek, helping him thrust by pulling hard on him. The red werewolf licked his lips at the desperate act before leaning all the way over Mitaka’s back to get a much better grip on him as he yanked him back to meet his thrusts.

“GRAA! GRAAAAAAAA! ERRAAAA!”

Hux’s knot never left Mitaka’s ass, which just felt absolutely amazing to him to be driven into so deeply. His own penis had been coming back out because of it, so he growled a specific way to get the red werewolf’s attention. Understanding quickly, Hux reached around with one hand-paw and began to fist him, feeling pre-cum seep into his pads and fur. He jerked on Mitaka’s penis fast and hard while still humping faster and harder, feeling as though they would come at the same time.

“Hrrar! HAR! AARH, ARH, HARR! AR-ARP!”

With a few more jerks of his hand and hips, Hux came fast, hard, and deep, but some still managed to spurt out of Mitaka’s ass. Mitaka’s red penis soon released its load too, melting some of the snow as it landed. Once there was none left, Hux pulled his knot free, thrust in a couple more times just for the hell of it, and then pulled out, his penis slowly going back into its sheath. When he let Mitaka’s go, it also started to go back in and it appeared that they were no longer in heat or horny.

(/mating)

Feeling exhausted after all that, Mitaka laid down in the snow, panting to regain his breath. Hux gently lowered his hips to let him lay flat out, moved off his backside, and then laid stomach-down beside him. They laid there in the warm-ish snow to regain their strength and soon all was quiet. Eventually Hux looked at Mitaka with affection, reliving every moment they had had together leading up to this night. At first they didn’t like each other and Hux still remembered all the times Mitaka hit him those nights, but they also worked well together. They had taken down that reptilian monster together, had comforted each other the time Mitaka fell off the cliff, and they had shared a howl together that was the most beautiful thing in the entire universe. All of those things, and more, is what made them find love, even in the loneliest of times, and Hux wouldn’t have it any other way.

Sitting up, Hux rolled Mitaka onto his back and laid his upper body on him, laying his head under his snout. Smiling, Mitaka wrapped his arms around him and gave him an affectionate lick on his forehead. Lifting his snout, Hux licked his cheek back before snuggling into him and closing his eyes. They laid there to rest for a while, enjoying each others’ warmth and love.

After a couple of hours, the two werewolves decided to travel around together, explore new areas of the forest, and jump around and wrestle and play from time-to-time. They soon found some soft snow patches and to show Mitaka just how _fun_ they were, Hux ran forward and belly flopped into it, disappearing from view and sending snow flurries in the air. Mitaka howled with laughter and fell backwards to clutch at his stomach as he rolled around. Seconds later, Hux’s head shot up, covered in snow. He shook it all off before getting himself up out of the werewolf-shaped hole, but he hit another soft patch, so he sunk back in. By this time Mitaka had calmed down and was sitting with a big wolfish grin on his face, but then he saw Hux fall in again and started laughing all over again.

Eventually Hux was able to get out and onto firm snow and he was covered in it, so he shook himself clean. As he looked up to stand, his eyes widened when Mitaka tackled into him, knocking them into the soft snow. The black werewolf was on top of him, snickering at Hux before licking him in the face with a slurping sound. With a snarling bark, Hux rolled them over and they began to wrestle inside the holes they had created. They were just having too much fun to care about anything else but themselves.

After a while, they moved on, sniffing the ground and sky for any new scents. Once they reached a certain spot, Hux perked up and sniffed several times in quick succession. Mitaka looked at him curiously, wondering what he was picking up. Hux soon looked at him, got him turned in another direction, and then gently pushed him forward. He made a grunting and growling sound and did it again when Mitaka didn’t keep walking. An annoyed look appeared on the red werewolf’s face when Mitaka didn’t budge, even as Hux practically bulldozed into him. Realizing this wouldn’t work, Hux got another idea, one that could definitely get him into trouble.

When Hux moved away, Mitaka figured he had given up trying to get him to go, but then-

“RARPH!”

Before he began to run on two legs as fast as they could carry him, Hux had smacked Mitaka fairly hard in the back of the head. The black werewolf had snapped his teeth at him, but Hux was long gone. Growling in anger, Mitaka got on all fours and began to chase after him, wanting to hit him back. Where was the red jerk going anyway? They ran for a long time and every couple of minutes Mitaka would shorten the gap between him and Hux, but the red werewolf was still too far ahead. Once he was close enough, Mitaka was gonna jump on him, bite his ear hard, and yank on it to let Hux know how angry he was about being smacked.

Hux glanced back to see how far away Mitaka was. He was closing in pretty quickly, so Hux looked back ahead to start running on all fours to pick up speed. When the black werewolf saw this, he growled in anger and tried to run faster. They both swiftly weaved in and out of trees without a hitch. Some time later, Hux changed direction abruptly, surprising Mitaka. As he tried to loop around too, he slowed since he was bulkier than Hux and snow went flying off to the side from his back paws. He then jumped forward to gain some distance, noticed that it helped, and jumped some more, ran, then jumped, then ran again. A triumphant grin appeared on his face when he saw the distance left over between them. His revenge would soon be at hand!

Hux finally rushed out of the forest and out onto open ground. Looking up, he saw what he had wanted to show Mitaka. His tongue was flying out of his mouth from exhaustion and his legs and arms ached, but the running was well worth it. He looked back again to see if his red-furred lover was out of the woods yet, but instantly his eyes snapped open wide. Mitaka was mere meters from Hux and it looked like he was readying to pounce. It didn’t seem like he noticed the large structure about two hundred meters away. Looking back ahead, Hux tilted his head back to howl before he dove down into a soft snow pack. At this point, Mitaka was ready to pounce, but with how fast he had been running, he leaped way beyond Hux’s location. He landed on packed snow and skid forward a few feet. Stopping, he turned around, baring his full teeth and fangs and growling as he waited for Hux to pop up out of the ground like daisies.

Nothing happened for a long time. Tilting his head, Mitaka took a cautionary step towards the cave-in, pushed himself up to get a look inside, but he couldn’t see anything but snow. Growling in warning, he walked closer. Then, when he was almost to the edge, he jumped up and over, turned in mid-air, and then dropped down into the hole, hoping to land on Hux. All he landed on was more snow, confusing him. Lifting his head, Mitaka saw a tunnel in front of him. It turned at some point, probably because while digging, Hux had met a spot he couldn’t break through.

Getting half of his body into the tunnel, Mitaka took a deep breath and then let out a loud, harsh bark that echoed further into the tunnel. He then quickly got out, jumped out of the hole, and then looked around frantically. Several meters away and to his right, he saw the snow being disturbed. Grinning maliciously, Mitaka ran towards the spot, planning on scaring the shit out of Hux when he came out. He was almost there when a red and orange snout poked out of the packed snow. Then half of his head came out, his ears popping free and standing on end. Hux tried to push his shoulders out next, but he got stuck. He heard Mitaka right behind him now, so he tried to duck back inside, but the snow packed in around him, making him unable to move much at all. The look on his face showed that he knew he was in trouble.

Opening his mouth and aiming for Hux’s ear, Mitaka jumped the rest of the way, sliding forward in the snow when he landed inches from Hux’s stuck head. The red werewolf saw his hand-paws out of his peripherals sliding past, felt hot breath on the back of his head, and then something snapped loudly. It took a split second to register, but Hux’s face screwed up in immense pain that came from his ear. Quickly wrapping his arms around and under Hux’s snout, Mitaka held tight as he pulled on his ear, gently chewing on it a bit with his back teeth. A growl came out of Hux’s gritted teeth as his head was pulled back.

“Hrrrr-A-ARK!” Grabbing the tip of Hux’s ear with his front teeth, Mitaka gnawed and sucked on it with a big grin on his face. His bushy black tail was also wagging happily on the ground behind him. Hux slumped his muzzle on Mitaka’s arms, growling low under his breath in annoyance. Out of nowhere came a big, thick lick to the back of his neck and that reached to the top of his head, making him cringe, which showed on his face. He could feel his spine tingle all the way up at the act. Mitaka licked him a few more times before gnawing on his ear again. Hux’s ice blue eyes narrowed. “Grrrrr…”

Getting bored after a minute, Mitaka lowered his arms, got on his knees, and then began to drag as much snow as he could away from Hux’s neck to help him get free from the packed snow. With his digging and the red werewolf jerking his body from side-to-side, they both managed to get Hux out of his tunnel. He got on all fours and shook his body to get the chunks of snow off, managing to splat Mitaka in the face. He reeled back while pushing it out of his eye with his right hand-paw, then shot Hux a glare. Snorting out of his nose, Mitaka stood up and cleaned his body by shoving the rest of the snow off. When Hux barked loudly, Mitaka looked up from his legs and saw the red oaf pointing at something. Growling weakly, Mitaka finished wiping his front down, stood up straight, and then walked closer to Hux. Standing side-by-side now, Mitaka looked at him.

“Rrrgh…”

Placing his left hand-paw on Mitaka’s snout, Hux pushed it to force Mitaka’s eyes to look where he wanted him to look. There was a pause of silence before Mitaka pushed the hand away and then took a step closer, blinking in surprised curiosity. At least one hundred and fifteen meters from their position was a large structure that had a wide opening underneath a rectangle of snow. Behind it was a small mountain peak that was also covered in snow. So this is what Hux had been so eager to show him. Looking back at Hux, Mitaka gave him a knowing look, in which the red werewolf nodded in agreement.

“Rawrf!”

Getting back on all fours, Mitaka began to run towards the structure with his red werewolf mate Hux in tow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this transformation night had to be cut into THREE parts, part 2 will be posted Wednesday and part 3 will be posted Saturday. This part was 7 pages (less if you skipped the mating section), part 2 is 7 pages, and part 3 is 8 pages


	19. Chapter 19

It didn’t take long to reach the structure. They sat down to look at it for a bit so that Mitaka could figure out what to do about this discovery. He came to the conclusion that it was some kind of rock cliff since it ended in flat snow at the top. Minutes passed before Hux looked at him in question, and then gently elbowed him when he was ignored. Mitaka looked at him, growling lowly, as if asking, “What is this thing?” It was strange that Hux easily understood even though they couldn’t talk to each other. He whimpered and whined and barked weakly a few times before standing up and approaching the front. Mitaka watched him before standing up and following him.

Stepping up to the thin layer of snow on a metal slat of what Mitaka concluded was also rock, Hux tested his paw on it to show Mitaka that it was solid. Mitaka scratched his neck as he stared at it, intrigued, but nervous. He then looked up and around, blinking in wonderment. Why did this large thing remind him of something? He had never seen anything like it, and yet… Hux suddenly barked to get his attention. Jerking his head to him, Mitaka saw him standing on the black rock. Looking down at it, he hesitantly placed one paw on it. It was cold to the touch, but it didn’t freeze him in place, so Mitaka got his other paw on it. His eyes widened when his paws slid apart on their own, believing it was black ice instead. Was Hux crazy?!

Mitaka suddenly jumped when he felt something grab his arm. Jerking his head to the right, he barked, nearly biting Hux on the snout. The red werewolf ducked out of the way, gripping Mitaka’s arm tighter to prevent from falling. Mitaka nearly lost his balance, but he dug his claws into the black thing to stop. He then helped Hux back up, patting him on the head in reassurance. Hux shook his head to make him stop, but then he pointed to what was ahead of them. Blinking, Mitaka followed the path of his finger and saw another smooth, black rock with lines in it. After examining it briefly, he looked back at Hux, whimpering in confusion. The red werewolf looked down to check his paws before taking a step. Mitaka gripped him tightly when he nearly slid and lost his balance.

With both of them helping each other, the two werewolves walked and slid towards the vertical rock until they had their hand-paws on it. Mitaka sniffed it, noting the strange smell, which didn’t smell like rock at all even though it had lines and cracks in it like some rocks had. Hux was watching him as he waited for him to give him some insight. He still remembered this place the last time he had been awake, so he had wanted to see if Mitaka knew what it could be. He made a whimpering growl sound at him minutes later, as if asking him about it. After glancing at Hux, Mitaka shook his head in an “I don’t know” way. Hux growled weakly in annoyance, hating his luck. Ever since last time, he had hoped Mitaka would know better than him, but even he was stumped. Now what should they do?

Hux perked up as he remembered something. Grabbing Mitaka’s arm, he took a step to the left, gently pulling on him. The black werewolf yanked his arm free and nearly lost his balance had he not quickly placed his hand-paw to the black rock. Hux growled in annoyance at him and tried again. Growling lowly in defeat, Mitaka allowed him to lead him off the rock on the left side, showing him the snowy incline. Hux pointed towards the top while looking at Mitaka, and then he jerked his head in that direction. Nodding, Mitaka took a step forward and Hux released his arm before they both walked up the bank to the top of the cave or cliff. Without warning, Hux began to run to the opposite end, causing Mitaka to tilt his head in curiosity. Releasing a breath, he headed after the red werewolf at a walk.

When Hux reached the edge, he started wagging his tail, unable to contain his excitement at what he was about to share with Mitaka. The black werewolf noticed, getting more curious as he got closer. He soon stepped up behind Hux, harumphing at him to get his attention. Turning sideways, Hux snatched up his wrist and pulled him to his left side. Mitaka jerked his hand-paw free, growling softly at him in warning. The red werewolf gave him an annoyed look before looking ahead and pointing.

“Ark!”

Shaking his head after deciding to humor him, Mitaka looked to where Hux was pointing and exhaled hard out of his nose. Smiling, the red werewolf looked out at the horizon too, feeling a warmth fill him at the magnificent sight. Mitaka blinked several times as he stared at the snow and tree-covered land before them. Eventually, a small smile showed up on his face and his ears lowered a bit in admiration.

The two werewolves stood there for a while, just admiring their home. Eventually snow began to fall and it just made the night that much more memorable. Without even looking, Mitaka reached over, looped his arm with Hux’s, and then pulled him to his side. He then nestled his head on his shoulder while the red werewolf smiled. Hux gave Mitaka a loving lick minutes later before carefully getting free, tilting his head back, and letting out a magnificent howl that spread across the planet. Mitaka looked at him in amusement, but then something clicked in his mind. His smile gradually vanished as he remembered the last time when he was all alone in those corridors and looking at the infinite stars on the alcove of the observation deck. In the back of his mind, he heard two howls, one that was his own and the one that was right beside him.

Looking back ahead, Mitaka wanted to share this moment with Hux, so he tilted his head back and howled too. Next to him, Hux’s howl ended and he looked at Mitaka, having the same reaction in his mind that the red werewolf had. He soon smiled, waited for his mate to finish, and then they both howled at the same time, the beautiful sound carrying as far as the eye could see.

By the end of their shared song, Hux and Mitaka lowered their heads to stare at the horizon briefly before looking at each other and pressing their foreheads together. Hux then gave Mitaka a loving lick on his nose before wrapping him up in his arms. The black werewolf nuzzled into him and hugged back, unable to believe how in love he was with this big furry red and orange oaf. Their tails were wagging gently because of the embrace and the love they had for each other.

Getting himself free minutes later, Mitaka poked Hux in the shoulder hard before turning around and running off. Figuring out what he wanted to do, Hux turned and ran after him, howling and barking happily as they played a game of tag. They soon ran around on all fours, leaving wiggly and zigzagging and loopy trails in the snow. Hux soon changed direction by going to the right and looping around to try to get Mitaka from the front. Noticing his strategy seconds later, Mitaka turned to run head on at him to psych him out. But the red and orange werewolf was not so easily tricked. With a wolfish grin, Hux ran faster, getting ready to tackle him. As Hux leaped at him once they were feet apart, Mitaka stopped and pushed off to the side to dodge. Hux landed on all fours when he missed, slid and spun around to face Mitaka again, and then ran after him.

For several minutes they played this game and they had tagged each other at least four times now. They were soon getting tired, so they stopped to take a breather, panting heavily from their mouths. Mitaka soon slid down on his belly and sprawled himself out in the cold snow, his chest heaving. Hux sat down beside him with his legs stretched out and his arms behind him to keep him up as he leaned back some. He stared up at the mountain peak and watched the snow continue to fall from the heavens. Looking up higher, he blinked as flakes landed on his face and got in his eyes. He had to blink constantly to make sure he didn’t go blind. Beside him, Mitaka rolled over onto his back, wrapped his arms around his legs as he held them together in the air, and rocked back and forth out of boredom as he also watched the snow fall.

“Hrmm, hrrr, arhrk, roo…”

Turning his head to look at Hux whimpering and whining at him for no reason, Mitaka stared before falling onto his side and wrapping his arms around Hux’s middle. He buried his head in his belly fur, murring affectionately. He then licked him a few times, tasting something salty and wet in his fur. A longing growl came out of Hux’s mouth, feeling a bit ticklish. Seconds later, Mitaka rubbed his nose deeply into his belly, making the tickle worse. The red werewolf hunched over in the middle, snickering as his body trembled. Mitaka smirked mirthfully at the power he know possessed.

“Rooo…”

Mitaka planted another, long and wet lick up Hux’s stomach and then moved up to his chest. He felt it vibrate as the red werewolf growled affectionately. Forcing himself up into a sitting position, Mitaka gave him a quick lick on the snout and then got around behind him before jumping on his back. Hux fell unceremoniously forward from the added weight and felt arms wrap around his neck. Getting a fun idea, he reached around behind him, grabbed a hold of Mitaka with his arms, and then began to stand up. As he was bent over on his paws, Hux hoisted Mitaka higher, moved his arms down to Mitaka’s legs, and then lifted them up to wrap them around his waist. Mitaka hugged him tightly with eyes closed and with a huge grin as Hux began to walk towards the snowy incline.

Hux piggy-backed Mitaka down the slope, hearing the snow crunch faintly under his paws because of the extra weight on his back. Getting bored like this, the black werewolf moved his arms to Hux’s shoulders and then pushed himself further up his back. The red and orange werewolf had to stop as he nearly lost his balance, which would surely force them to roll the rest of the way down. He growled as Mitaka moved even higher, his hand-paws now shoving Hux’s head down.

“Arooph!”

Hux’s knees bent sharply and his skin and fur on the top of his head was pushed down over his eyes. Mitaka just barked in amusement as he was sitting on his companion’s shoulders, his tail wagging happily. Grumbling, Hux grabbed his legs that were around the back of his neck and began to walk down the slope again. Mitaka soon moved his hands to hang over Hux’s shoulders and he laid his muzzle down on the top of his head. Having better control now, Hux was soon walking normally and he felt happiness begin to fill him. Carrying Mitaka like this sure was an amazing feat because he was just so heavy.

They soon made it to flat ground again and Hux was working on going back towards their starting point while still carrying Mitaka on his shoulders. They were thirty-some yards away from the front of the cave or cliff when he abruptly stopped, both of their ears pricking back when they heard a faint, whirring sound. Quickly getting Mitaka down, they both turned, their minds taking a few seconds to register what was happening with the structure. Their eyes soon widened, their lips parting a bit when the cave began to open all by itself. At the same time, they both sniffed out of reflex and immediately picked up a very unique scent, one that fluctuated between life and death.

At the back of his mind, Mitaka remembered that he had discovered this scent once before, but that was a long time ago, back when he had fallen off that cliff and injured his chest. He never did find the scent’s owner and he had forgotten about it until now, when his scent memory was triggered.

Soon, the cave finished opening partway and the werewolves almost couldn’t make out a black shape emerging from it. Their eyes widened more when they saw a flash of deep orange coming from the figure’s side. Was this just another monster that lived on this planet, like the reptilian? And why did it have such a strange smell to it? What was this thing?

Feeling both curious and frightened, Mitaka tried to take a step closer, but Hux grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, a deep, menacing growl forming in his chest and throat. Looking over at him, Mitaka saw his ears fall back and he parted his lips to bare his clenched teeth to signal danger. Mitaka whined when he realized something was wrong. Before he could do anything else, Hux bent his knees, dug his paws and claws into the snowy ground, and then took off, dropping to all fours as he rushed the figure, which hadn’t noticed them yet. As soon as it heard Hux snarl angrily up ahead, its head shot up and it lifted the orange light in front of its body. Mitaka looked antsy as he watched Hux rush the figure to confront it, worry filling him at all the possibilities of what could happen to the love of his life. Once he couldn’t take it anymore, he whined, released a high-pitched bark, and then ran after him, sensing that they were in danger, just like before with the reptilian.

Near the entrance of the cave, the figure spun the light around, revealing part of its body as the glow passed. Spreading its legs, it threw the cross-shaped light to the side, gripped it tighter at the base, and then ran head on at the red werewolf.

When Hux was feet away from the figure, he pushed himself up on his back paws, curled his fingers forward, and then aimed a swipe at what he thought was the figure’s face. It had some strange, shining silver around where the eyes would be while the rest of its face was obsidian. Before his claws could make contact, the figure ducked, pivoted around Hux’s furry body, and then swung the light around behind him, slicing Hux’s shoulder open. It heard the werewolf howl in pain, but it didn’t get the chance to check on him since Mitaka was coming up next. With a snarling bark, he jumped high in the air, opening his mouth wide to try biting the figure. Stopping abruptly, the figure jumped back to dodge and watched Mitaka land in a crouch before performing a headbutt tackle. Behind the figure, Hux was gripping his slightly bleeding shoulder as he turned around, growling with his teeth and fangs clenching together. He took a step forward when the figure easily flipped and then turned in mid-air over Mitaka. Hux’s eyes widened when the black werewolf smashed into him since he couldn’t stop himself in time. They both fell, Mitaka landing on top of him with a yelping bark.

The figure stood up straight to stare at the two werewolves as they tried to untangle themselves from each other, flipping the light around at its side. A strange humming sound came from its strange face.

“I wonder if master Snoke is testing me,” it whispered to itself, sounding male.

The two werewolves wouldn’t know him, but it was Kylo Ren, who had sensed a disturbance in the air thanks to his Force ability that night. He knew that they were werewolves, but he was surprised to actually see not one, but _two_ , of them. He never thought he’d see the day…

It took Hux and Mitaka nearly a minute to be separated and to recover. Seeing him bleeding, Mitaka moved close and began to fervently lick at the burning gash. Hux growled angrily in pain, but he allowed his mate to cover it with his own saliva to help it heal. Once it was coated enough, Mitaka stepped back, whining. Turning his head a bit, Hux eyed Kylo Ren, glaring and growling lowly at him. Noticing the look, the Knight flicked up the long blade of his glowing orange and red lightsaber and then rushed them.

“HrrAARRRK!”

On all fours, Hux ran at Ren, wanting nothing more than to tear him limb from limb because of the injury he had inflicted. Feeling that they would both need to work together against this powerful foe, Mitaka ran after Hux, moving to one side as he did. He figured they would need to attack Ren from different angles to do any damage.

As Ren attempted to slice into Hux’s neck, the red and orange werewolf pushed up onto his back paws, moved to the side at the last second, and then aimed claws for Ren’s passing arm. All he managed to do was tear into his cloak before he spun around in the snow and jumped at the Knight from behind. Hearing him, Ren spun around, striking at Hux again. This time he sliced the werewolf’s arm, then quickly dived out-of-the-way to avoid getting mauled over by his thick, furred body. Ren then rolled to break his fall, got on one knee, and almost didn’t see Mitaka leaping at him with both arms outstretched. His hand-paws grabbed Ren’s shoulders and he forced the Knight onto his back with an angrily snarl. Getting his boot into his stomach, Ren flipped them both over while kicking him away.

“YARP!”

Mitaka had flipped over and crashed onto his chest and stomach, sliding backwards in the snow. Digging his claws in, he came to a stop and then looked up right as Ren rolled onto his feet. By now Hux had recovered and was rushing the Knight again. As Ren took a step towards Mitaka as the black werewolf tried to get up on hands and knees, he stopped and began to look back when Hux threw his body at him sideways after getting partway up on his back paws. The force of the hit caused Ren to fall forward, but before he could hit the ground, he rolled over in mid-air while swinging his lightsaber arm at the red werewolf. Seeing this start to happen, Mitaka leaped into action, aiming his open mouth for his arm.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ren saw a flash of deadly teeth before they clamped around his heavily-covered arm. To break out of it before they broke through the strong material of his arm warmers, Ren performed an oddly-angled, backwards somersault away from the two werewolves, yanking his arm free and managing to kick Hux in the chest. The fangs tore into the thick arm garment, but it missed his flesh. As he was on his knees, Ren stumbled up onto his feet and stepped back away from Hux and Mitaka as they recovered from their failures. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the opening to Starkiller Base. Deciding to retreat, Ren used the Force to knock the werewolves away before jerking around and running for it.

Both werewolves crashed into the ground several feet away, Hux on his upper back and Mitaka on his side. They quickly recovered and got up, shaking their heads and rubbing at their aches and pains. Looking back up, they saw Ren running away, albeit awkwardly because of his outfit and his boots sinking into the snow. With lighter feet to their advantage, Hux and Mitaka got on all fours to run after him, snarling and barking as they ran side-by-side.

Kylo Ren urged his legs to move faster as he heard the pounding paw steps coming ever closer up behind him. When he realized he wasn’t going to make it to the opening in time, he jumped around while throwing his arm out in mid-air. The Force flew at the two werewolves, who didn’t see it coming in time, and slammed into the black one from the side. With a surprised yelp, Mitaka was thrown into Hux and they went flying off to the side on top of each other. Spinning his lightsaber around for momentum to turn, Ren continued running. He was now less than halfway to the opening and he would need a certain amount of time for the doors to close before the werewolves got to him. If they made it inside the base, then Ren would have to kill them off before they could bite him and infect him with the werewolf gene.

Immediately, Mitaka rolled off Hux, shook himself, and then looked in Ren’s direction. He was almost inside the structure now and Mitaka wondered if going after him was worth it anymore. Looking at Hux, who was rubbing his aching head, Mitaka whimpered at him. Looking up, Hux saw the look on his face, then looked to Ren. For some reason, an unbridled fury filled him whenever he looked at this unknown creature. With a menacing growl, Hux got on all fours once more and started running for the structure again. Mitaka’s ears went back and he whined, sensing his mate’s hatred. It didn’t seem like Hux was willing to let it go, so Mitaka had no choice but to follow and help, lest the red werewolf get himself killed.

Kylo Ren finally reached the base opening, slid around on the floor to get to the manual control panel, and punched the button that opened and closed the doors. With a loud whirring sound, the two ends gradually started coming together. Standing a foot from the opening at the center, Ren spread his legs a few inches apart, bent his knees, and then held his lightsaber out in front of him for defense. He watched the two werewolves getting closer and closer each passing second, having the sinking feeling that the doors wouldn’t close in time. He could feel his heart beginning to race at the anticipation.

“Close. Come on, _close_ …” Ren muttered under his breath.

In the lead, Hux could see the doors trying to close in front of Ren, which surged him on. As he looked at the point of the lightsaber and how the Knight stood, the red and orange werewolf could almost sense where Ren would strike, depending on how Hux attacked. Going on that, he figured out how to psych him out. Coming up close behind him, Mitaka made his own strategy after he anticipated at what point Hux would attack and how Ren would strike at him. If they played their cards right, they would get inside the structure at just the last second. Mitaka just hoped he would do his part right.

The grip around the hilt of the lightsaber tightened as Ren saw the werewolves closing in on him. If he could at least strike the red werewolf down, the black one would either get partway in as the doors closed or he’d stop to help his fellow werewolf and they would get locked outside. Ren just had to make sure he struck at the exact moment, otherwise he would be trapped like a rat in a cage with two giant cats.

When the edges of the doors were a foot and a half apart, Hux made his move. With a snarl, he jumped up at the door a little to the left, aiming his claws at Ren’s masked face with his right hand-paw. At the last moment, Ren lifted the lightsaber to his upper right and tried to slice diagonally down to the left at Hux’s exposed chest. What he didn’t see coming was Mitaka’s strategy or Hux deciding to change tactics at the last possible second. His eyes widened when the red werewolf grabbed the door instead of swiping and flipped his body over the crackling energy blade. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Ren saw Mitaka sliding across the icy, black floor. At the same time, the two werewolves slammed into Ren when they were right inside the doors, knocking him backwards. Once he crashed, he slid across the floor thanks to his cloak and long robe. As the werewolves landed on all fours, sliding in opposite directions, Ren placed his hands back by the sides of his head and pushed off while nearly rolling over backwards to jump to his feet. He stumbled backwards a few times before regaining proper footing, threw his arm out to the side to get his lightsaber ready, and then rushed towards the closest werewolf.

Getting up on his paws, Mitaka saw Ren trying to attack Hux, so he let off a loud roaring sound as he threw his arms out to the side before leaping at his back. Spinning around, Ren grabbed the hilt with both hands and held the blade diagonally down in front of him to block. Mitaka smashed his hand-paw into the left side of his mask, clawing the metal eye protector and creating dangerous sparks. Ren flinched in surprise because of them and his head jerked around. In the process, he performed a roundhouse kick, hitting Mitaka in the chest. With his swishing robe helping him spin around, Ren now faced Hux, who was on all fours, ready to attack. He leaped forward, aiming a headbutt for the Knight’s middle. Ren quickly pivoted around him and then tried to strike him down with a downward diagonal strike. Placing his hand-paws on the floor, Hux flipped over, the end of the blade barely nicking his leg. Spinning around swiftly, he aimed a clawing swipe for Ren’s chest now that it was exposed.

At the last second, Ren took a step back to lessen the blow, but he still managed to go flying backwards in the air. His left leg went flying up as he almost flipped over, giving Hux enough time to rush halfway under him and jump up, aiming his opening mouth for his ankle. Ren swore when he felt teeth clamp around his thick boot, which was his only protection from the piercing fangs. He then felt his body being spun around and he was immediately released. With his head hanging back, Ren saw Mitaka upside down as the black werewolf came up and smashed into him so hard that he went spinning sideways, crashing into the doors. He was knocked down from the jarring hit and his body rolled onto his back away from them. As Ren looked up with one eye open, he saw Hux high above him, aiming his right paw for his stomach.

Hux smashed his paw into Ren’s gut hard, forcing his body to almost fold up around him. Crouching above him, Hux swiftly reached for the front of Ren’s mask with his right hand, his claws at the ready. They dug through the grating of the eye protector, the tips almost scratching Ren’s face. Hux tried to yank it off, but it wouldn’t budge.

“ _Get_ _offa me_!”

With his fist, Ren punched Hux hard in the side of his snout, making him yelp. He then sent an uppercut from underneath, the force of the fist knocking Hux off at an angle. His claws were still stuck in the mask as he crashed into the floor, so he rolled Ren over onto his side. Quickly reaching under his jaw, Ren unlocked the mask and tore it off, revealing a thick head of curly black hair that stuck to his neck and ears. He then scrambled to his feet, but had to dive forward when Mitaka leaped into action. The werewolf smashed into the doors sideways, stood up straight, and then jumped on top of the Knight, who had tried to crawl away. Opening his mouth wide, Mitaka grabbed around his cloaked neck with his teeth, trying to bite into his neck. It was thick and cushioned enough to only puncture the cloth. Snarling in anger, Mitaka pulled away, grabbed the back of Ren’s head, and tried to smash it on the floor.

Ren’s elbow quickly shot out, smashing Mitaka in the throat hard. The werewolf gagged and choked as he was forced backwards from the hard hit, crashing onto his back. Ren growled in pain when the claws scratched his scalp and cut off several strands of hair. Meanwhile, Hux was trying to get his claws free from the grates by pulling on the mask with his other hand. Once freed, he turned to see what was going on. Mitaka was reeling back from the failed neck biting attack before grabbing Ren’s head. Growling behind gritted teeth and fangs, Hux threw the mask aside right as the elbow smashed into Mitaka’s throat.

“GRAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!”

Hearing the enraged roar from Hux, Ren jerked his head around and up, seeing the werewolf jumping down at him with two fists aimed for him. The Knight threw his arm out, letting the Force grab Hux’s furry chest, and then he threw him at the door. The red werewolf smashed into it hard enough to disorient him as he fell. Ren rolled sideways several times to dodge before he scrambled to his boots. After a quick glance at the two fallen werewolves, he turned on his heel, ran for his mask and snatched it up, and then began to run further through the base, panting heavily. He had to lure the werewolves into a tight space if he wanted to better attack them with his lightsaber, and he knew just the right place.

As Ren disappeared into a corridor opposite the closed doors, Hux and Mitaka were working on recovering. Hux was the first one up on his paws and he had to place his hand-paw on the doors to steady himself. After shaking his head, he looked up and saw Mitaka trying to roll over, coughing and gagging as he tried to breathe through his tightened esophagus. Hux jogged over to him, falling on his knees at his side. He placed his right hand on his upper back, whining to get his attention. Out of the corner of his eye, Mitaka saw Hux crouched next to him and looking worriedly at him. Mitaka smiled as he sat up, hacking deep in his throat to clear it.

“Hrrr, roo.”

Closing his eyes, Hux pressed his forehead into Mitaka’s temple to comfort him. Mitaka gave him an affectionate lick to his muzzle where Ren had punched him. Once they both recovered, they got up, turned towards the corridors, and sniffed the air for Ren’s scent. They quickly found his scent trail through the fifth corridor to the right. Wanting payback for the damage the Knight had caused them, they got on all fours and started to chase after him once again.


	20. Chapter 20

Kylo Ren was perfectly aware that the two werewolves were chasing after him, but he was hoping for it. There was one location that could end their lives for good, so he was running every which way to confuse the werewolves enough to reach his destination before they caught up to him.

Ren suddenly frowned when he sensed a sudden change. Sliding to a stop, he looked back, his eyes narrowed. Why were the werewolves stopping their chase? There was a moment of confusion, but then his eyes widened in surprise.

“Sonuvabitch!”

‘ _Shit, shit, shit, I kriffed up, I kriffed_ _ **up**_ _!’_

Turning back around again, Ren ran off, cursing himself into oblivion at his mistake. He should have been more mindful of how his false paths had crossed over because the werewolves had figured out his plan and split up to cover more ground. Had he not been in such a predicament, he would’ve thrown a temper tantrum right then and there at his idiocy.

Ren ran faster than he ever thought was possible for him in his full gear that weighed him down some. Luckily he was almost to where he wanted to go by now, but the werewolves were gaining again. As he was about to run past a crossing corridor, Mitaka came rushing by, forcing Ren to a stop. He thought the black werewolf wouldn’t notice him, but Mitaka came to a halt before he entered the other side and he sniffed the air. Ren stood absolutely still and dared not breathe, but it didn’t matter. With a snarl, Mitaka turned while throwing his full body at Ren. Thinking quickly, the Knight activated his lightsaber that he hadn’t bothered putting in the holster, jumped sideways at the wall, and then leaped and flipped over Mitaka’s body, cutting out a good chunk of the wall. As he landed on all fours, Mitaka saw the wall coming down at him out of the corner of his eye, so he quickly jumped away to avoid it. He then looked back to where Ren was, seeing him land in a crouch on his feet before he started running again.

“HAAAA-ARK!”

In another corridor close-by, Hux came to a sliding stop while spinning around to face the direction of the noise. Sniffing the air, he found both Mitaka and Ren’s scents, so he rushed after them, weaving in and out of any mindless maintenance droids that got in his way. Minutes later and Hux was passing the area where Ren had cut apart the wall with his lightsaber. Droids were coming to repair the damage, so he jumped sideways onto the opposite wall and leaped over them before going on Mitaka’s trail again.

Ren soon reached an area that was huge and spanned all the way across from him. Rushing to a set of metal stairs that led down into the deeper level, he ran down half of them before leaping off and rolling to break his fall. Once back on his feet, he rushed to a pathway that was laid out across a very deep, dark chasm with red, glowing lights coming from below. By now the two werewolves caught up with each other and were running into the area. Seeing Ren heading for the walkway out of the corner of his eye, Hux ran faster ahead, stood up at the railing when he was almost lined up with the path, and grabbed the railing as he leaped over it. His paws and hand-paws slammed into the floor below, sending a loud, booming clang noise that echoed all around. Reaching the stairs that Ren had used, Mitaka ran down them on all fours, jumped over the railing at the bottom, and ran over to join Hux.

Having heard the hard slam on the floor behind him, Ren glanced back to see the two werewolves rejoining each other. He was stunned when he realized Hux had jumped from a fairly tall height to gain more ground.

‘ _Kriff, what have I gotten myself into?’_

Wanting to get his defense plan ready, Ren rushed as fast as he could towards the middle of the walkway, being mindful not to get too close to the edge in fear of slipping, and then spun around, brandishing his lightsaber in front of him with both hands. He was breathing hard from all that running and, which he hated to admit, because of fear that he would not succeed. He could not afford to die or become a werewolf…

Running to the opening of the walkway, Hux and Mitaka stood side-by-side, growling at Ren. Their instincts told them to be extra careful because of the unknown drop-off on either side of them. It was a fairly tight squeeze, but the werewolves realized they could fit side-by-side, even while running, regardless. If they attacked Ren at the exact same time in a narrow space, they would probably gain the upper hand this time. So without wasting anymore time, the two werewolves snarled and snapped their teeth together as they got back on all fours and began to run at Ren, who stood his ground. His hands were fidgety as he held the hilt tightly, trying to figure out which one of them would attack first.

“Come on… C-Come on,” he muttered under his breath as the werewolves loomed ever closer.

“HRAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!”

“Shit!”

Ren took a shocked step back when he saw the red werewolf attack first by leaping from halfway away, his right hand-paw claws readying to strike him. As he came down at the Knight, Ren dropped down and kicked his legs up, catching Hux in the stomach. The red werewolf was flipped over fast and hard and, as Ren had shoved his legs at an angle rather than straight back, Hux crashed into the edge and his body rolled off. With a crying yelp, he snatched at the walkway and dug his claws in as he dangled in the air with almost no traction whatsoever to get back up. He swung his legs up for the underside, but his claws slipped from the force of his swing. He dropped back down and clawed frantically with his hand-paws to try getting back up.

Meanwhile, having seen what Ren did, Mitaka came to a halt, his brown eyes widening in fear. When he saw Ren jerking forward into a sitting position, anger filled him. With a roaring snarl, Mitaka rushed at him, jumping with both hand-paws raised in the air to cross-slice into him with both sets of claws. Jerking his head up at feeling the black werewolf hovering above him, Ren gripped his lightsaber with his right hand, held it off to the side before pushing up with one foot, and swung while spinning the lightsaber around in his hand.

Behind Ren, Hux finally figured out how he could help pull his body up. Opening his mouth wide, he clamped his fangs and teeth onto the edge of the floor and then tried swinging his legs underneath the walkway again. This time he didn’t slip, which gave him enough leverage to push up high enough to extend his arms and claw into the floor better. Hux was soon able to pull his body up enough to be on his stomach. With his hand-paws, he pushed himself up and got his knee on the edge when he heard a horrifying sound.

“ _ARRRP_!”

Head jerking up, Hux barely got to see the blade of the lightsaber striking Mitaka horrendously in the chest and a few inches of his abdomen before the black werewolf was flying backwards through the air, his crimson blood spraying out of the deep, long gash. Fear and anguish filled Hux as he watched Mitaka crash far away on his side, sliding back after he landed and leaving a smear of blood behind. A few feet from Hux, Kylo Ren was breathing heavily as he was now standing with the lightsaber hilt held loosely in his hands. The red werewolf was too stunned to do anything, fearing the worst.

“That’ll t-teach you to…m-mess with me…” he heard Ren pant out.

Time seemed to stand still, but Ren gripped the hilt tighter with just his right hand and then took a step towards the wounded black werewolf. Sensing what the Knight planned to do, Hux finally jolted into action. With a loud growl and showing off his deadly fangs, he got the remainder of his body into the walkway, crouching on all fours.

“HrrAAARRRRRRR!”

Hearing clanking claws on the metal walkway, Ren turned around while lifting his lightsaber diagonally in front of his body for defense. He was suddenly mauled over by Hux as he plowed right into the Knight. What was most surprising about this was Hux not stopping to bite or claw at Ren to make him pay for what he did to Mitaka. Instead, he ran right to the black werewolf, slid forward to stop himself, and then reached for Mitaka’s muzzle while whimpering. Rolling over quickly, Ren watched in astonishment as the red werewolf moved his left hand-paw to the back of Mitaka’s head and lifted it. He whimpered and roo-ed at him to get up. This lasted for a while, but the black werewolf remained still and silent. A weak whine escaped Hux and his ears went down and his tail tucked under his legs when Mitaka didn’t get up. Ren was intrigued by all of this. Were the two werewolves related or mates, or was this a side effect of being Turned? Ren knew very little about Werebeast clans, so he couldn’t answer that even if he tried.

Swallowing hard seconds of staring later, Ren pushed his hands into the floor and very slowly pushed his body up to avoid alerting the red werewolf. Ren had to kill him too if he were to survive the night. Hux was currently pressing his forehead into Mitaka’s cheek fluff, whimpering and roo-ing in anguish. How could he have convinced Mitaka to help him attack this evil human? The black werewolf would have been okay if he had just stayed behind. But now Mitaka was dying and Hux hated himself for bringing him into this mess.

Behind them, Ren was on his knees, still moving slow and silent as he tried to stand up. He dragged the tip of his boot on the floor as he lifted one leg, bent at the knee, and then pushed up into a crouch. After a deep breath to calm himself after all that, he took one step forward, freezing up instantly when the walkway creaked. Far away, Hux’s ears perked up at the noise, but he didn’t move. It was faint, but he heard something almost non-existent in his ears. There was a very long pause…

_Bmp…bmp…badump…badump-_

As he heard the loud beating heart in his ears finally, Hux’s lips parted from his teeth and they pulled apart as a growl began to form in his throat. It soon got louder and his mouth was half open, while the fur on the back of his neck and his upper back went up. Carefully lowering Mitaka’s head back down, Hux slipped his hand-paws out from under him, petting his muzzle once and cupping his cheek briefly. Then, after lowering his hands to the floor, he dug his claws across the steel as he got ready to make someone pay _dearly_ for hurting his dying mate.

Behind Hux, Ren took a step back, still being silent despite his heavy boots. He could sense the rage in the red werewolf, but he hadn’t turned to the Knight yet-

“ _SHIT_!”

Turning on his heel, Ren tried to run to the opposite side of the walkway after the red werewolf had leaped around with a roaring snarl and rushed him far faster than usual on all fours. Halfway to the Knight, Hux threw his full weight at him, aiming deadly claws and his fangs at Ren’s back. He had miscalculated the distance in his rage, so he only managed to reach the Knight’s waist. Ren was knocked to the floor hard and his lightsaber hilt went spinning away from him. It stopped on the edge, teetering precariously. Worry filled Ren as he saw it threatening to fall into the abyss. Throwing his arm forward, he tried to Force pull it back to him, but he was suddenly forced to the floor and he felt hot breath on the back of his head.

“GRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!” Ren thought his ears would blow out from the loud and terrifying roar above his head. He suddenly cried out in pain after the werewolf clawed him in the back of the head. Luckily he had such thick hair, otherwise the wounds would be more horrendous than they were. Ren could feel blood seeping into his hair from the back of his scalp. “HAR-ARRRK!”

Ren could feel the werewolf aiming his fangs for his head to crush it next, so he threw it back, headbutting him hard. The werewolf yelped loudly after having his nose smashed and he fell back, grabbing it with both hands from the sides. Feeling the weight come off him, Ren threw his upper body back to knock the werewolf off the rest of the way, scrambled up to his feet as he practically crawled forward a few feet, and then dived for his lightsaber hilt, his right hand outstretched. As he snatched it up, he rolled over onto his back and then sat up, turning the blade on. Ren then jumped to his feet right as Hux recovered, hunched over as he stood on his back paws, panting. Gripping the hilt tight, Ren rushed at him, throwing the lightsaber out to the side for more attack power for his swing. He was going to slice him open the same way he had done with the other werewolf.

Hearing the pounding footsteps and the crackling of the kyber crystal as it malfunctioned for a second, Hux jerked his head up, growling with his fangs exposed. Holding his right hand-paw back, he waited for Ren to start swinging his lightsaber at him before attacking back. As it came whistling and crackling through the air, Hux slid his right leg back and then performed a looping sweep of his clawed hand as he stepped forward. Ren was stunned when Hux smacked the powered-on lightsaber blade right out of his grip. He didn’t get a chance to defend himself before the werewolf slammed his hand-paws into the front of his shoulders and knocked him over onto his back. When Ren saw fangs and teeth flying down at his face, he quickly threw up both hands to grab the sides of Hux’s head and stopped him. Hux snapped his teeth at him a few times and was growling and snarling as saliva was flung around. Gritting his teeth hard, it took most of Ren’s strength to keep the werewolf at bay, especially since he was jerking around so much. Hux kept biting and snarling out of pure rage at the Knight, wanting to rip his whole face off with his teeth.

“G-Get…off… _meeeee_ …” Ren tried to kick Hux off him, but the werewolf merely shoved the leg aside and then slammed his paw into Ren’s stomach hard. “HRK!”

Ren was winded and he thought his eyes were gonna pop out of their sockets. He suddenly felt claws smacking into his face on one side, which forced his head over. Out of the corner of his eye, Ren was glaring at the red werewolf, still trying to break free out from under him. He pressed his hands harder to Hux’s temples and pushed back as hard as he could. He was now halfway off his back as he continued to push Hux back, looking directly at his face. For a moment, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, but then Ren noticed something that he hadn’t before.

For just a moment, Ren became stunned as he looked into the werewolf’s wild, ice blue eyes and noticed how… _familiar_ , they looked. Had he seen these eyes before or-?

“ _I certainly hope you do not have a_ _ **death wish**_ _, General. Because if_ _ **I**_ _don’t_ _ **kill you**_ _, the Supreme Ruler_ _ **will**_ _.”_

“ _General, I want that_ _ **map**_ _. For your sake, I suggest you_ _ **get it**_ _.”_

Ren was dumbstruck at what he was considering. Was this red werewolf _General Hux_?! No, that was absurd! Hux may have been incompetent when it came to retrieving the droid with the map, but he wouldn’t let himself become a werewolf! This just couldn’t be-

When he heard teeth snapping together again and feeling hot breath filter in through the breathing grates of his mask, Ren came out of his trance and saw the werewolf’s full face again. As he looked at the top of the head, he saw the orange stripes that were eerily the same shade of orange-red that Hux’s hair was. His hair along with the blue eyes may have been slim-to-none proof that this red werewolf was General Hux, but somehow Ren believed it. Well, there was only one true way to know for sure…

Digging his fingertips into the werewolf’s temples, Ren growled as he started to use the Force and eventually cried out in a steady breath for strength. The werewolf still snapped at him with his mouth, but he was aware something was entering his head and going somewhere. Gritting his teeth as he used the Force harder than he was used to, Ren began to see flashes of memories in his mind as he searched the werewolf’s brain. They didn’t make much sense, but Ren got the gist of it. His eyes soon widened when he saw a memory of the werewolf transforming back into a human as the rising sun began to come up along the partly blocked horizon of the planet’s forest. When Ren saw the thin form of Hux and his carrot-top hair laying on the snowy ground like a wounded animal, that was all the convincing he needed to know that this was Hux. But who was his black-furred werewolf friend, who was obviously more than that, that was with him? Was it someone else from the First Order?

“ _Shouldn’t the two of you be busy with important matters, General?”_

“ _Shouldn’t you be minding your own business, Kylo Ren?”_

“ _I do not know what the two of you are hiding, but I will find out soon enough, one way or another…”_

Now everything was coming together like a super difficult puzzle. Ren was both confused and intrigued about all of this werewolf business. If he was correct, then Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka was also a werewolf, but who had turned who? And how did Ren not know about such a secret when he had the second highest position in the First Order? Who had authorized this secrecy?

Gritting his teeth in disappointment once he realized who had the ultimate power, Ren continued to seep the Force into Hux’s brain and mind, searching for something important. Before he found it, he saw flashes of Hux’s human memories, but they were almost indiscernible. Eventually he reached an area that he could barely penetrate. This was what Ren was desperately looking for. His arms and hands were getting achy and tired from trying to keep Hux’s mouth away from him, so he didn’t have much time to break through. Slowly Ren closed his eyes, concentrating his hardest on destroying this strong barrier. Soon all sound was muted in his ears except for his deep, almost steady, breathing as it resonated in his mind. Tendrils of the Force smashed and crackled into the barrier, but they hardly made a scratch. If Ren didn’t shatter it soon, he would be bitten.

Hux tried desperately to stop Ren’s advances. With his hand-paws, he grabbed the hands on his temples, digging his claws into the thin flesh. Ren felt it just enough to know that the wounds would be bad if the claws dug in any farther. Thank the Force for his heavy-duty gloves.

The tendrils of Force got increasingly more frustrated as more time passed and hardly anything was done about this powerful barrier. They grew in thickness as Ren applied more pressure to Hux’s head. He needed far more leverage, but how could he do that? Would he be strong enough to hold the werewolf down on his back? No, he couldn’t risk it, he had to try something else-

Getting a quick idea as he remembered something, Ren lowered his right hand from Hux’s temple, curled it into a fist, and then socked him in the jaw as hard as he could.

“ARK!”

With Hux distracted and thus vulnerable for a short time, Ren grabbed his temple with his hand again and then dug his thumbs hard against the corners of Hux’s eyes. Both of them were panting for different reasons, but Ren had more control now. The tendrils of energy thickened and smashed into the barrier faster and harder. When Ren could feel it cracking now, his hope and determination to free Hux from the beast increased and he felt far more confident with the Force because of it. If Lady Luck was on his side, he would destroy the barrier in a matter of seconds.

It didn’t take Hux long to recover from the punch to his face, so he tried to bite Ren in the face again, but the thumbs pressing close to his eyes prevented him from getting much closer. All he had for offense now was his claws, so he hacked and slashed at Ren’s body to cause damage. Gradually the Knight’s clothing was shredding and becoming tatters around them. If Ren didn’t break the barrier soon, the claws would cut into his flesh and he would surely die then.

Hux was aware that he was making progress with his claws, but he felt the energy getting stronger within his mind. What exactly was this human trying to do to him? What was this archaic energy that made his fur stand on end? Whatever it was, Hux both feared and was enraged at it since it was targeting him specifically. He had to do something quick if he didn’t want the energy hurting him, if that is what its intentions were. Seconds later and he got an idea. Snarling, Hux lifted his clawed hand-paws away from Ren’s body and then jerked his arms against the Knight’s own, right as the Force attempted another devastating blow.

As the thoroughly cracked barrier finally shattered into thousands of pieces and completely disappeared without a trace, both Ren and Hux stopped what they were doing immediately. Hux had just gotten his head free and was going to attempt snapping at Ren’s face for devastating damage, but with his human mind free from the beast’s control, he was able to stop his attack at the last possible second. His mouth was still open with his deadly fangs exposed and he stared at Ren as if seeing him for the very first time. Once some shock passed, Hux lowered his lips over his fangs and he no longer growled. The two men stared at each other silently for a long moment, but then Kylo Ren swallowed hard.

“General Hux?” he asked carefully.

Hux’s eyes widened when he understood the Knight perfectly. But how was that possible? Was it morning already? No, that couldn’t be it, he realized once he sensed how different his body felt. It was fuller, stronger, not that weak humanoid self that was almost as thin as a rail. He soon realized gloved hands were barely touching his temples. His vision adjusted enough to get a better look at Kylo Ren, who didn’t have his mask on.

“Kylo Ren?”

Hux reeled for a moment. Although he heard himself say the name, his mouth didn’t move, and yet the look Ren gave him was proof that the Knight had heard him too. This was so strange feeling that it was almost freaky.

“General, you’re a werewolf!” Ren suddenly blurted.

Feeling mostly back to normal now, Hux scowled and growled at him. “Well no kriffing shit. What was your first clue?” Reaching up suddenly, Hux grabbed Ren’s hands and yanked them off his head. “What did you do to me? How can we understand each other? How am I able to understand _anything_ like this?!” Ren was about to answer when Hux remembered something. His eyes widened in fear. “Mitaka!”

“Oof! …Careful where you stick those fat feet, you mangy dog!”

Hux ignored Ren as he ran to Mitaka again on all fours, which felt strange now that he was fully conscious of everything. As Hux reached him and lifted Mitaka up into a sitting position against his furry body, Ren was sitting up with one arm wrapped around his stomach after Hux stepped on him in his haste. He blinked curious eyes at how Hux handled the other werewolf, as if they were-

“It’s okay, Mitaka, I’m here. You’re going to be okay, okay? I won’t let you die…”

Growling in pain, Ren stood up and took a step towards the two werewolves. “General Hux, is that really Lieutenant Mitaka?”

As Ren moved towards them, Hux stood while trying to lift Mitaka off the walkway and into his arms. His body was heavier than usual due to his injuries and being unconscious (Hux was so grateful for that), but he managed a good enough grip. As Hux stared down at Mitaka’s blank face, a whine escaped him, ignoring that it sounded so strange to his ears now. Ren stopped a few feet away, his lightsaber back in his hand. Now that he was standing close enough, Ren realized just how big Hux was as a werewolf. The redhead was almost two inches taller than the Knight and slightly stronger in the arms and legs, though his thinness hadn’t changed much at all. This discovery was just so insane!

“Will he be alright?”

Hux glanced at Ren, glaring weakly at him. “He had better…”

“Had I been told-”

“Well it isn’t fucking about you, now, is it?!” Hux snapped angrily.

Ren appeared offended. “I didn’t know-”

Growling, Hux turned on his heel, heading back the way they came. Ren’s hands curled into tight fists at how unreasonable the General was being. Ren only fought them out of self-defense. Besides, Hux had initiated the situation in the first place, so whose fault was it now?

Sighing, Ren followed Hux back through the base to…wherever it was they were going. As they were reaching the sleeping quarters area, the Knight got a pretty good idea where they were off to. The two werewolves had to find a place to spend the rest of the night, but with Mitaka’s injuries so bad, going outside was unwise. So a temporary bedroom would be their best bet.

“There’s an empty room five doors down and on the left,” Ren offered after using the Force to check. Hux didn’t comment, but he reached the correct door and waited. Getting the hint, Ren moved to the door, placed his fingers next to the locking mechanism, and then used the Force to override the lock. The door slid open after a few seconds, revealing a small room for a very low rank soldier, but it would have to do. “Is there anything else I can do-?”

Ren was suddenly forced to the side, which nearly made him lose his balance, as Hux pushed past him to get inside. Ren glared at him before following him inside. Immediately, Hux went to the side of the bed and carefully laid Mitaka on it before checking his wound again. Ren stuck his tongue out in disgust when the werewolf decided to lick blood and bits of flesh away. Not wanting to witness this, he moved to the adjoined bathroom and checked under the sink for toilet paper, paper towels, or bath towels. There was cleaning supplies on one side with absorbent, blue towels on a short shelf. Ren grabbed a handful, got some wet with super hot water, and then returned to the bedroom to give Hux a hand.

Hearing Ren step up beside him as he still licked at Mitaka’s wound, Hux stopped, looked over, and saw what was offered to him. He forcefully snatched the towels out of Ren’s hands without a word, still clearly pissed off at the Knight.

“Get out,” he growled out as he used the wet towels to soak up the blood that was caking onto Mitaka’s black fur. “We never needed your damn help in the first place…”

Ren was insulted. “It isn’t that way from where I’m standing.”

Ren had to take a hasty step back when Hux suddenly snapped at him with his sharp teeth. “ _Leave_!”

Tch-ing, Ren turned around and left, feeling annoyed. This had been his way of apologizing for nearly killing Mitaka, but Hux clearly didn’t get the memo.

After a few minutes of traveling through the base to calm down, Ren thought back to all that had happened tonight. Despite his irritation and anger about not knowing he was working with two werewolves, he also felt disappointed in himself at not thinking more clearly after he saw Hux rush him from outside. Had he just checked their minds for memories from the start, Mitaka wouldn’t be in this mess. Ren felt utterly stupid at his incompetence.

“Snoke will be furious with me,” he thought out loud.

Ren would have to confront Snoke in the morning about all of this, something he never looked forward to. Snoke wasn’t always the nicest master when it came to Ren’s screw-ups, especially not one as big as this evening’s. Then again, how angry would he be at Hux and Mitaka for this night? Snoke was terribly unpredictable at times, Ren hated to admit, but it was true. Either way, the Supreme Ruler was _not_ going to like this. No, not one tiny bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update: September 30


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, with their transformation done for another month, Hux awoke to holding a still unconscious Mitaka, who had his mouth open as he breathed. Hux moved slowly back, placed a soft, caring hand on Mitaka’s upper arm, and then carefully laid him down on his back instead of his side. Hux stared blankly at his face before sitting up, turning around slowly as not to wake him, and then silently got to his feet. He took a step towards the adjoined bathroom, but stopped when he realized something. Hux blinked a few times in thought.

 _Are you feeling as light as a feather this morning, General?_ came the airy voice of Kylo Ren, which was directly in Hux’s head.

Hux flinched, not expecting that so soon after he woke up. He had to wiggle his pinky in his ear to get the ringing to stop.

‘ _How do you know that?’_

There was a pause, but then the exit door slid open partway and Kylo Ren walked inside, completely clothed, mask and all, and carrying a dufflebag. Hearing him enter, Hux turned to stand sideways to look at him. Stopping at the foot of the bed, Ren set the bag down quietly and then nudged it in Hux’s direction with the toes of his boot.

“Dress quickly. The Supreme Ruler requests an audience with us. It is urgent.” Hux glared weakly at Ren when he wasn’t given a proper answer before stepping up to the bag, crouching down, and yanking the pouch open. Ren stared down at him as Hux got the necessary clothing out. “To answer your question, I felt an acute difference in your life force after last night. Destroying the barrier that kept both of your minds from connecting correctly enhanced all of your senses tenfold.”

Hux didn’t seem to care that Ren was looking at his nude form as he got dressed quickly, asking next, “Why does Snoke wish to see us?”

Ren finally looked away from Hux to look at Mitaka still on the bed, unmoving and barely breathing. With the blanket lowered after he had been moved, Ren saw the almost deadly wound on Mitaka’s chest. Hux kept pulling clothes on while tracing the Knight’s gaze, seeing the angry wound too. He was about to say something else, but Ren finally looked back at him.

“I had to inform him of what transpired last night. He was…furious, to say the least…” Hux believed him. A minute later and he was in the bathroom, trying to make his hair presentable. It wouldn’t stay slicked back like normal with just water, so he had some loose hairs here and there. Ren was beginning to get impatient. “Stop fussing and let’s go. We can’t keep the Supreme Ruler waiting.”

Hux just rolled his eyes in the mirror as he turned off the sink. Turning, he re-entered the bathroom, staring sternly at Ren. “What about Mitaka? He’s still unconscious, we can’t-”

“I have fully explained the situation to the Supreme Ruler, therefore he knows of the Lieutenant’s predicament. He only wishes to see the two of us. Now, I brought a bacta wrap, so if you want to get it on the Lieutenant as soon as possible, I suggest you stop looking at me with total disdain. It was protocol to inform him-”

Snorting, Hux returned to the dufflebag and rooted around for the large strip of sticky medicine for gruesome wounds. “As I said to you once before, I really don’t give a damn.”

Ren didn’t say anything. After finding what he needed, Hux stood up with the wrap in hand and went to the side of the bed to take care of Mitaka’s wound. He sat down, aligning with Mitaka’s ribs, stripped the protective backing off, grabbed both ends with his thumbs and pointer fingers, and positioned it in the right spot before pressing it down onto Mitaka’s chest. After smoothing it down, Hux looked at his peacefully asleep face while reaching over with his right hand, moving aside some fallen hair from Mitaka’s forehead. A look of discouragement was on Hux’s face as he stared at him, rubbing his temple with his thumb. Ren’s eyes narrowed at the uncharacteristic affection coming from Hux. It was hard to believe that such a ruthless army General was indeed human, something Ren wasn’t sure if he himself could ever be anymore.

“…We shouldn’t let the Supreme Ruler wait any longer, General.”

Exhaling hard through his nose, Hux placed his right hand on the top of Mitaka’s unkempt-haired head, leaned over him, and then planted a long kiss to his forehead. Feeling something shift uncomfortably in his gut, Ren looked and turned away, moving for the door. When Hux heard the door slide open, he pulled away, stood up, and pulled the blanket back over Mitaka before following Ren out into the hall. Luckily this end was empty of Stormtroopers and other officers, so no one would be suspicious of why the two of them came out of the same room. Still annoyed with his hair not working with him that morning, Hux walked side-by-side with Kylo Ren, having déjà vu all of a sudden. Only this time, he wasn’t super stiff with his arms and he didn’t care if he kept pace with the Knight. All he thought about was Mitaka and how upset he was at Ren for hurting him last night, regardless of the fact that Ren had done it out of self defense and didn’t know who he was facing at the time.

They soon made it to the large area that reached Snoke’s chamber and neither Hux nor Ren had to be inside it to feel the tension around here. Anyone walking by could feel it too, so they stayed as far from the door as possible. When they noticed the duo walking straight for it, they wished mercy upon their poor souls. Reaching the door first, Ren stopped and then turned his head to look at Hux.

“Are you ready?”

Glancing a glaring eye at him, Hux snorted. “Let’s just get this over with so that I can get to work sometime today.”

Ren eyed him momentarily before taking the first step into the chamber. Hux growled weakly at him before following him inside and psyching himself up for whatever punishment Snoke’s wrath would put him through. The dark energy flowing within became unbearable for every fiber of Hux’s being. Had it not been for Ren’s magic last night, this would feel ten times worse. The duo soon stopped below Snoke’s seething gaze, Hux feeling like the ceiling was crushing him. He had to swallow to find his voice.

“Supreme Ruler, I just wanted to say that I-”

“ _Silence_!”

Instantly, Hux cringed violently, his shoulders tensing up while his hand reached up for his right ear as it nearly felt like the ear drum was going to burst. He growled in pain. Beside him, Ren glanced his way, noticing his distress, before addressing Snoke instead.

“Supreme Ruler, I beg that you do not punish the General or the Lieutenant for my indiscretions last night.” Jerking his head up, Hux’s eyes widened in surprise at Ren’s comment. The Knight never missed a beat. “Had I known who I was battling, I would not have nearly killed one of your best assets. If anyone is to face repercussions over this, it needs to be me.”

Hux was stunned. Was this masked man really Ren or had he been replaced by some kind of angst-less clone? Well that was a stupid thing to assume, he realized, after catching Ren’s always changing scent. Swallowing, Hux turned his face away to look at Snoke, forcing himself to look stoic despite his skin crawling and his ears ringing. There was a long, intense silence as Snoke stared down at both of them, but his nostril slits flared a bit when he released an airy snort.

“Always so admirable, Kylo Ren, even towards your most hated enemies…” There was another pause. “Then so be it. We will put last night behind us and focus on what is more important than my bad judgment over this entire werewolf business.”

“Thank you, Supreme Ruler.”

Snoke made a strange noise before continuing. “I have nothing else to say to either of you.” Looking at Hux, Snoke added, “But try my patience one more time, idiotic _beast_ , and there _will_ be consequences.”

Beast? Idiotic? Why did Hux have the biggest urge to go to Snoke’s real location and make that ugly face of his even more disfigured than it was currently with his claws? Before Hux did anything stupid, Ren stepped forward, lifted his arm and pressed it against him, and tried to give him the hint to turn around and walk away. Growling, Hux shoved the arm away before turning on his heel and stalking off, signaling that he didn’t need the Knight’s help. Ren apologized to Snoke once more before following Hux. They left the chamber, the hologram of Snoke gradually disappearing, and then they moved away from the door to let it close.

“Just so you know, you owe me one,” Ren said seconds later.

Hux’s hands curled into tight fists. “Are you expecting gratitude? Because you’re not getting it from me,” he snapped.

“Had I not said what I did, you wouldn’t still be on the same planet as Mitaka-”

Stopping abruptly and turning in anger, Hux, surprisingly, shoved Ren back a step. “ _You shut your damn mouth_!” There was an awkward silence when anyone close by stopped to look at the two powerful, clashing forces with fear and curiosity. It was well known how much the two men _loathed_ each other for whatever reason, but they’d never seen something like this unfold. Hux didn’t seem to care that people were staring. “I didn’t need to be defended by a _weakling_ , especially not one such as the likes of you!”

Ren’s eyes narrowed in disapproval. “Hux-” he said carefully, but stern.

Hux slammed his hand into Ren’s shoulder hard. “Don’t you “Hux” me! I handled it once, I can do it a _thousand_ times over! Now stay the _kriff_ _away_ from me!”

Without waiting for Ren to respond, Hux turned on his heel and stormed off, leaving the Knight in a faint bit of shock at the General’s intense reaction. When he realized people were staring, he looked at them with disdain.

“What are all of _you looking at_?!”

People jumped while turning quickly and speed walked as far away from the enraged Knight as possible. Growling, Ren jerked his body around and walked away, trying to figure out what Hux meant. What had he handled before? Had this not been the first time Snoke had threatened Hux over being a werewolf along with Lieutenant Mitaka? What other secrets were being kept from Ren? First Snoke hadn’t confided in him about having two werewolves on board the Finalizer, and now this? Force energy from anger escaped Ren’s body as he felt betrayed by his master over this.

As Ren headed back for his quarters, he picked something up far away unintentionally with the Force. If Hux was in a good mood, the Knight would’ve informed him that Mitaka was awake in his temporary room, exhausted, but doing okay. Somehow, it didn’t take long for the anger to ebb away and to be replaced by remorse and disappointment. In the back of his mind, Ren still remembered the other time he had inflicted terrible pain on the Lieutenant. He would never admit to it out loud, but he had cursed himself after he had calmed down and remembered. The only comfort he had was knowing that Mitaka being a werewolf had protected his life. It didn’t make Ren feel any less shitty though.

‘ _I will make it up to you, even if you don’t forgive me,’_ Ren thought.

Ren just had to figure out how first.

* * *

It was about mid-day and Mitaka had been up and carefully walking around the room for a few minutes to get his legs working again at 1000 hours. He was currently stretched out on top of the blankets and going through a few brain simulations on a spare datapad. He had found the dufflebag at the foot of the bed and looked around inside of it for whatever clothing was left. That’s where the datapad had been stored, along with some food rations and bottled water, so to pass the time, he did these simulations. Mitaka was ready to go to the next task when the door slid open and heavy boots stepping on the floor filled the room. Mitaka didn’t need to look to see who it was, because their scent was all he needed.

“Have you come to check up on me, sir?”

Stopping at the bed, Kylo Ren said, “I have.”

“Did Hux send you?”

Mitaka looked up at Ren as the Knight shook his head. “No. I caused your injury, so I am going to make it up to both you and General Hux. I will be reporting back to him on your time in here today.”

Mitaka gave him a soft smile. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet.” Ren sat on the edge of the bed, reaching for the bacta patch on Mitaka’s chest. He carefully peeled it off, seeing whatever damage was left. It wasn’t too bad, but it would still take the remainder of the work day to heal. “Does it hurt?”

“No.”

Standing back up, Ren reached into his robe pocket and pulled out a fresh bacta patch. He peeled the protective strip off, grabbed both ends with his fingers, and then laid and pressed it over the wound perfectly. Ren stood there momentarily without a word, trying to decide if he should go through with his carefully thought out plan or not.

“If you will permit me, Lieutenant, I want to do something for you. It will help you on transformation nights.”

Mitaka seemed curious. “It will?”

Ren looked off to the side. “Yes, but it requires the use of the Force.”

“Oh.” Ren muttered something, which Mitaka mostly understood. “To be fair, sir, I have had to keep my power in check to avoid suspicion of what I am from everyone. I should have been better prepared for your blow up that day. So you don’t have to be sorry for that.”

Ren still wouldn’t look at him. “I should still know better than to-”

Mitaka looked at the datapad in his hands. “When I am a werewolf, I lose all sense of self and become a destructive force of nature. So I assure you, sir, I know what it is like to be you.”

The expression on Kylo Ren’s masked face showed that he never even considered such a thing. Exhaling, he looked back at Mitaka before sitting on the bed again, propping his left leg up on the mattress. The Lieutenant looked up when he saw Ren move both hands towards the sides of his head. He stiffened slightly out of reflex, but when Ren barely pressed the tips of his fingers to his temples, he relaxed almost instantly. There was a short pause before Mitaka felt thin streams of energy enter his brain and travel deep within it, searching for a specific place. Mitaka figured Ren had his eyes closed to keep things steady as he used the Force on the deepest, darkest corners of his mind.

Gradually, Mitaka’s eyes began to widen as the Force found its intended target and began to make him feel more different compared to usual. What exactly was Ren doing? Mitaka tried to ask him that question, but the Force user’s voice filled his head.

_I am doing to you what I did for General Hux last night. Now when you transform—_

“—You will no longer be a mindless monster.” Mitaka blinked when Kylo Ren’s voice changed to normal as he finished his thought out loud. The Force user lowered his hands from Mitaka’s temples. “ _Now_ you can thank me.”

Mitaka’s eyes were wide from being stunned a bit longer before they returned to normal. He then smiled gratefully at Ren. “Thank you.”

Nodding, Ren stood up and took a step back. “If you are doing fine, I will let General Hux know.” Ren turned to face the door. “He cares deeply for you, you know. That’s what I saw after I freed his mind from the darkness…”

Mitaka opened his mouth to say something, but Ren was already out the door and it closed behind him. Closing it, Mitaka looked at his datapad to continue what he was doing earlier. Whatever Ren had done, it made the young man feel a million times lighter and his thoughts and senses were far more clear now. Mitaka never thought about it much, but he figured becoming a werewolf had actually done him more harm than good. He no longer felt like he was being crushed by something massive and heavy. When he could, he would properly thank Kylo Ren for the release of his once debilitating mind.

* * *

It was almost 2100 by the time Hux was able to go off duty for the rest of the night. He still had a few files to sort through, but he would leave them for in the morning. But right now, he had someone special to be with.

As Hux headed for the third set of sleeping quarters, he thought back to the conversation he had had with Kylo Ren just three hours ago:

~

Hux’s office door opened and Kylo Ren stepped inside. “General, a word?”

“I am a little busy at the moment, Kylo,” Hux said as he tapped away at his datapad, acting as if his outburst from that morning hadn’t happened.

“It’s about Lieutenant Mitaka.” Hux froze, thinking the worst. Kylo Ren rolled his eyes. “Relax, Hux, your mate is fine.”

Jerking his head up, Hux glared weakly at Ren. “Do not call him that. It is not your place to use that term.” He set the datapad down. “What do you have to report?”

Ren moved further into the room. “Lieutenant Mitaka is healing just fine thanks to his werewolf blood and the bacta patches. I also unlocked his mind like I did yours. The two of you will be consciously aware of everything around you on transformation nights now. I will suggest to Supreme Ruler that the curfew be lifted.”

“I wouldn’t bother.” There was a pause. With a nod, Hux picked up his datapad and continued his reviews. “…The update on Mitaka is appreciated, Kylo. You may go.”

Nodding, Ren turned around and left without another word.

~

So now it was very late and Hux wanted nothing more than to be with Mitaka, just to see with his own eyes on how he was doing. After a lengthy few minutes, he reached Mitaka’s and his temporary room and typed in the unlock code. The door opened just enough to let himself slip inside before closing again. Smiling faintly at the sight on the bed, Hux carefully walked over to the edge, not wanting to wake the possibly sleeping form up.

Mitaka was sound asleep in bed on his side, his back to Hux, who carefully pulled his bangs out of his eyes to get a better look at his peaceful face. Hux felt giddily happy at the sight of him, which he would have never felt had he not been turned into a werewolf. He just felt the deepest love for Mitaka at that very moment. Leaning over, Hux planted a soft kiss to his temple before letting his bangs go. He then walked around to get to the other side of the bed. He wanted to admire Mitaka until he, too, fell asleep for the night. That was one advantage of him being a werewolf now, Hux mused.

While Hux stripped down to his tank top and skin tight boxer shorts, Mitaka, deep in his subconscious, realized someone was there with him. He soon felt the bed dip as someone sat down on the other side. There was the sound of a boot coming off and being set on the floor. Eyes fluttering open, Mitaka caught the vibrant color of orange hair and immediately knew who it was. The acid rain scent was also a great indicator.

“Mhh, hey…good-looking.” Hearing him awake and talking, Hux set his other boot on the floor before turning around while getting his legs up. Mitaka smiled weakly at him, still partly asleep. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost 2100. It was a very long day…” Pulling his legs up, Mitaka pushed himself up into a sitting position and scooted closer to Hux. The General stretched his legs out on the bed, wrapped his arm around Mitaka’s shoulders, and then pulled him closer. “Kylo Ren came to tell me about your progress this afternoon.”

Mitaka snuggled up to him, laying his head on his shoulder. “I’m glad he did. He did something to my brain with the Force and I feel far lighter than I have most of my life. He said he did the same for you last night.”

“Yes, it allowed me to be consciously aware of my surroundings. That is how I stopped myself from killing Kylo last night.” Hux smirked in amusement. “I think he is angry that he was not told of us sooner.”

Mitaka’s face went blank, but his eyes narrowed. “Sometimes I wonder if telling the truth would be far better than lying…”

Hux ran gentle fingers along Mitaka’s arm. “These men and women were never trained to handle forces such as werebeasts, so it would be unwise to tell them now. They would be more preoccupied with staring at us like zoo animals than performing their duties.” Turning his head, Hux kissed the top of Mitaka’s head for a few seconds. “No, the First Order would be better off never knowing what we are.”

While Mitaka knew that was true, he still couldn’t stand keeping a secret anymore, especially not after Kylo Ren freed their minds from the beast. No one would have to be afraid of being bitten or killed by their comrades knowing what they were. Mitaka just hoped it wouldn’t drive them mad to not reveal their dark secret forever. But at least Kylo Ren knew, so Mitaka figured that was good enough for now.

Suddenly remembering the bacta patch on his chest, Mitaka straightened up and grabbed the top end to pull it off. He peeled it away carefully before folding it and setting it aside. Looking at his chest where he had been sliced open, there was nothing but smooth flesh. He gently touched the area with his finger to make sure. It was a little soft and tender, but it had healed properly. That was a big relief. Mitaka could resume his duties tomorrow.

“I’m all healed up now.”

“Good, because I missed seeing you at work today,” Hux said as he nuzzled Mitaka’s temple with his forehead. He then kissed it gently. Mitaka released a low rumbling sound in his throat at the affection. This made Hux chuckle. “Well aren’t you adorable…” Mitaka stuck his tongue out at Hux. “Well you are!”

Shaking his head several times as he laid back down, Mitaka laid it down on Hux’s chest and placed an arm across him to snuggle with him. They were silent for a long time, almost as if they were going to fall asleep any minute. Minutes later and Mitaka opened his eyes halfway.

“Hey, Hux?”

“Hmm…?”

“Is Supreme Ruler Snoke furious at us?”

“…He’ll get over it.”

Mitaka smiled faintly. “Okay.”

Not wanting to sleep on his back anymore, Hux carefully and gently rolled onto his side while wrapping his arms around Mitaka. The Lieutenant yawned before pressing the top of his head against the underside of Hux’s chin to snuggle with him as close as possible. Hux’s hands slowly moved up and down along Mitaka’s back, lulling him towards sleep. He could feel cold air ghost over his neck as his mate breathed. It was such a comforting feeling, knowing that the one he loved was still with him. Last night had been one of the worst nights of Hux’s life when he thought he would lose Mitaka, so feeling him breathing made him appreciate what he had all the more. Mitaka was worth living for.

“I don’t care what anyone says,” Hux whispered a few minutes later. “You are the _best_ damn Alpha in the galaxy.”

There was a pause, but then Mitaka started laughing. Hux grinned in amusement before wrapping his arms tighter around him. When all was quiet, Mitaka glanced up at Hux out of his peripherals.

“I love you, my big strong wolfy.”

Smiling, Hux kissed the top of Mitaka’s head. “I love you too, you big softy.”

Mitaka laughed for a few seconds again before they both closed their eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending was supposed to have porn, but I was just so done with this fic since it was 99.99% complete that I canned my original idea. BUT I am keeping what I had started and, once it’s done, will post it to my [Mikylux Drabble Collection](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6391102/chapters/14634109) as a side extra. So as of this moment, part 1 of my werewolf au is 100% complete :)
> 
> Next Update: October 3


	22. Chapter 22

After a great night’s sleep, Mitaka was the first to wake up. Although he had been facing Hux and pressing the front of their bodies together before falling asleep, he found himself curled up in a ball near the center of the bed, his lower back pressed to Hux’s leg. Not that he was complaining because he was comfortably warm, but it was surprising to have changed positions so much. Mitaka uncurled himself, stretching his arms and legs as far as they would go. Behind him, Hux shifted to roll onto his other side, his back to the stretching Lieutenant. He stuffed his arm under his pillow to prop his head up, still mostly asleep.

When he was done stretching and yawning, Mitaka rolled over on his back to look at Hux, seeing his naked shoulder move up and down steadily. Mitaka sat up, scooted back with the help of his hands, and then reached over to shake Hux’s arm by the shoulder.

“’Ey, ‘Ux. Up.”

Hux growled weakly in his sleep while pressing his head harder into the pillow. Scowling tiredly, Mitaka moved closer to him, leaned in as he gripped Hux’s upper arm, and then gave him a big, gross, wet lick to his exposed ear. Immediately Hux’s eyes snapped open and he gritted his teeth in disgust as his body tensed up.

“Yeeech! M-Mitaka!”

Mitaka pushed on his arm again, harder this time. “Up!”

Snatching at the other pillow, Hux picked it up and then slammed it onto his head. “Go back to _sleep_.”

Hux yawned loud and wide after saying that. Mitaka decided to try a different tactic this time. Getting on hands and knees behind Hux, he started to climb on top of him, pressing the fronts of his calves on Hux’s side. Mitaka teetered slightly as he tried to gain balance, but since he was still fairly tired, he started to fall forward. He ended up crushing Hux underneath his whole body as he fell with a loud “oof!”

“MITAKA!” At the thought of what just happened, Mitaka chuckled for a few seconds before he burst out laughing. His body kept pressing Hux harder into the mattress with each inhale of air. Growling, Hux lifted the pillow off his head and then hit Mitaka’s back with it. “Get off!”

Ignoring him, Mitaka rolled like a log, still laughing, and laid over Hux’s side on his back. Hux scowled at him while trying to roll over onto his back to shove him off instead. It took a while for Mitaka to calm down, but when he controlled himself again, he lifted his upper body off Hux’s side, twisted his body around, and then quickly wrapped his arms around Hux. He snuggled with him while laying his head on his shoulder.

“Up.”

A rumble came from Hux’s chest as he glared at Mitaka. “I can’t with you on top of me.”

“Yes y’can, strong woof…”

Hux continued to glare at him a few seconds longer before his face softened and he blew a breath out of his mouth. Wrapping his arms around Mitaka’s arms and mid-back, he forced himself up into a sitting position, almost falling back down when his body seized up. Mitaka shifted his legs to be sitting up against the General, yawning heavily by his head. Lifting one hand, Hux rubbed the side of Mitaka’s head a few times before trying to push him away so that they could get out of bed properly.

“C’mon, we have work to do, sleepyhead.”

Mitaka hugged Hux tighter as he tried to stifle a yawn. “Y-Yes sir…”

After a few more seconds of the embrace, Mitaka finally released Hux, spun around on his butt to sit next to him and face the same direction, and then stumbled to his feet. Hux watched him in amusement as Mitaka hobbled for the bathroom. As he stretched one arm high above his head while yawning, Hux got a great view of his backside, making him leer at it.

“You know how I said you were handsome?” Stopping in the opening doorway, Mitaka looked over his shoulder at Hux, blinking. He then released a mumble. “While that’s still true, you are even sexier in the back.”

Mitaka rolled his eyes before looking back ahead and entering the bathroom. Hux shook his head in amusement before he too got up and went to his discarded clothing from the night before. He took out his datapad to check the time, but saw something else on the screen. Blinking in curiosity, Hux swiped the preview message to open it and then read the whole thing. His eyes widened in surprise.

Mitaka was just stepping into the turned on shower and was about to get his messy bedhead hair wet when the door was shoved open suddenly, making him jump. Looking over, he saw Hux staring at him with a shocked look on his face.

“Er-what?”

“It’s time!”

With his eyes wide, Mitaka looked confused. “Time for what?”

A cruel smirk quickly appeared on Hux’s face, as if he had won the entire universe in the lottery. “Soon, Mitaka, the galaxy will be ours…”

For a moment, Mitaka didn’t know what that meant, but then it hit him. “Are you sure?!”

Hux quickly entered the shower with him, shoving Mitaka against the wall and kissing him passionately for a couple seconds. “I just received word that the Starkiller is finally ready. Not only that, but the Guavian Death Gang found the droid on the stolen freighter.”

Mitaka smiled. “That’s great!” He paused. “So what does that mean, exactly?”

“I must see Snoke to find that out,” Hux answered. “I have been summoned. Again.”

Mitaka blinked at hearing the disgruntled tone to Hux’s voice, but he didn’t comment on it. “I guess you should shower and get ready, then.”

Nodding, Hux kissed Mitaka passionately again before turning to the shower head. “You should too. When I reveal to the Stormtroopers and soldiers that the Starkiller is ready, you will be right behind me with Captain Phasma.”

“I was told months ago that I would help power the Starkiller,” Mitaka said. “So how can I do that if I’m-?”

After getting his hair soaking wet, Hux turned to Mitaka as he grabbed a shampoo dispenser. “You won’t have any part in that, actually.”

Mitaka frowned. “Why not?”

Hux began to lather up his hair as he asked, “May I be honest with you?”

“Er, yes?”

“I have terrible stage fright.” Mitaka looked deadpan at this. “What? I do!”

After shaking his head, Mitaka said, “Anyway, you want me there because…”

Hux now scrubbed the back of his cranium. “Your presence alone will help me say my moving speech I have been planning for a while now.”

“Oh.” There was a pause as Hux began to rinse his hair out. Mitaka stepped up behind him to help him clear the thick suds away with his hand and fingers digging into his red hair. “Well I think you’d do just fine even without me behind you.”

Glancing over at him, Hux smiled, slicking his hair back with both hands to let the excess water come out of his hair. “Thank you.” Blinking a few times, Mitaka continued to dig his fingers through Hux’s hair despite it already being rinsed clean. Closing his eyes at the affection, Hux turned to face Mitaka, placing his arms over his shoulders and pulling him flush against his body to be under the stream together. He then kissed the top of his wetting hair. “I love you.”

Wrapping his arms around Hux’s neck, Mitaka reached up to kiss him hard on the mouth. “I love you too.”

With their eyes still closed, they kissed again in a loving embrace.

* * *

With the excitement of today distracting him, Hux wasn’t fully prepared to hear what Snoke had to say on the matter. He especially didn’t think Kylo Ren would have to be there. Hux was still silently seething about the Knight nearly killing Mitaka, unable to let it go yet. But that was soon going to change…

“The droid will soon be delivered to the Resistance, leading them to the last Jedi,” Snoke informed them, sounding calm, but he oozed wisps of rage. “If Skywalker returns, then the new Jedi will rise.”

There was a pause as Hux glanced at Ren, deciding to do the Knight that favor that he didn’t actually deserve. He may as well just get it over with. Hux looked back up at Snoke, exhaling.

“Supreme Ruler, I take full responsibility for the-”

“GENERAL!”

Okay, maybe _now_ was not the best time to return the favor. Once again, Snoke’s booming voice nearly deafened Hux because of his enhanced hearing. This time he grabbed both ears with his hands, growling in immense pain.

“Grrrngh, would you stop _doing that_ -!”

Hux had thrown his arms down by the end, but then he made a strange noise in his throat. Ren had hit him hard in warning with his arm. The General shot him a glare, growling loudly behind exposed, gritted teeth. Snoke continued, ignoring Hux’s reaction, as if he hadn’t been interrupted at all.

“Our strategy must now change, before it’s too late.”

Snorting at Ren, Hux looked back at Snoke, hitting the side of his head to get the aftermath of his ears ringing out of his system. “I was informed this morning that Starkiller is ready. I believe it _is_ time to use it. We will destroy the Republic today if I have anything to say about it. Without their friends to protect them, the Resistance will be vulnerable, and we can put a stop to them before they can even _think_ to find Skywalker. I don’t see any other option besides that.”

There was a long pause as Snoke considered this. Humming deeply, he slowly sat back down before waving his hand at Hux. “Go. Oversee preparations, before I change my mind.”

Hux dipped his head an inch. “Yes, Supreme Ruler.”

Before he left, Hux and Ren looked at each other, Hux giving him a knowing look. The Knight understood, but remained silent as Hux sneered, turned around, and then walked away. Ren’s eyes narrowed slightly after him.

“There has been an awakening.” Piquing with interest, Ren turned back to Snoke, who was staring at him with narrowed eyes. “Have you felt it?”

Ren was silent for a moment. Near the rounded door that was about to open, Hux glanced back, having heard Snoke. As he was leaving, he heard Ren’s voice, which was softer than usual.

“Yes.”

Hux’s eyes narrowed slightly as he walked out, the doors spiraling closed behind him. When he could no longer hear them, he looked back ahead, seeing Mitaka and Captain Phasma waiting for him a few feet away. He stopped a foot from them.

“Well?” Mitaka asked.

Hux waited a moment before looking to Phasma to address her instead. “Gather my army, Captain. It is about time we introduced everyone to their mighty creation.”

Phasma gave a small bow of her helmeted head. “As you wish, General.”

As Phasma turned around to head off, Snoke’s chamber door opened and Ren walked out, his head lowered slightly. Sensing him there, Mitaka looked past Hux, noting the distressed posture of the Knight. Hux looked back to see what he was looking at, his eyes narrowing once he spotted Ren moving away.

“Something’s bothering Kylo Ren,” Mitaka said.

A rumbling sound came from Hux as he looked at him. “He is of no concern to me, nor should he be for you.”

Mitaka looked at Hux, looking slightly disappointed at his uncaring tone. “You of all people should know how it feels to be out of touch with reality, Hux. Kylo Ren taught me that.” Hux seemed taken aback by this. Mitaka gave him a weak smile. “Well, what are we doing standing around here for? You have a declaration to give.”

Nodding, Hux squeezed Mitaka’s shoulder as he passed him, heading off to give his orders to the engineers and technicians of the Starkiller weapon. Being Hux’s personal assistant, Mitaka headed for the top of the base where Hux would be standing before his army to address them and reveal their endgame. Everything had to be in its proper place and Mitaka wasn’t going to let any errors ruin this drastic turning point in making the galaxy a better, more prosperous place for everyone.

‘ _Soon, Ma, you won’t be living in that backwater Hell hole anymore.’_

Mitaka had never admitted it to anyone, but, deep down, that is why he was here, to give his family, that had always had nothing because of an unjust government, what they rightfully deserved. The Republic on his planet had never helped anyone if they weren’t “rich enough”. No, not even extremely hard work helped poor people. You either had to be born into a rich family or married someone from a rich family, which was a rare occurrence since all they cared for was themselves, damn everybody else. No one should be treated unfairly just because of what they were born into…

Hours later, preparations to fire the Starkiller at the Hosnian System were almost complete. Stormtroopers, TIE fighter ships, any and all lower ranked officers, and an assortment of vehicles stood unmoving in front of the base opening that came out of the snowy mountain peak. Captains and other high ranked militia stood near the back of the platform, red First Order banners surrounding them. Mitaka stood next to Captain Phasma, on Hux’s request, and they were waiting for him to show up. Minutes later, there was a faint rumbling under their feet and the floor opened up. Once it was fully open, a regulation cap started to rise out of the floor, followed by Hux himself. The floor soon closed back up, there was a pause, and then Hux moved towards the center of the platform.

As soon as Hux stopped at a specific spot, keeping his feet a few feet apart, a strangely familiar sensation flowed up through his boots and over his entire body. Next to Phasma, Mitaka blinked when he saw Hux flinch almost unnoticed, thanks to his enhanced eyesight. He wasn’t sure how he knew, but Mitaka was certain it wasn’t the stage fright causing this reaction.

“Hux, I’m right here,” the Lieutenant said so faintly that only the General could hear.

Closing his eyes briefly, Hux inhaled deeply before reopening them and forcing a determined look on his face.

“Today is the end of the Republic! The end of a regime that acquiesces to disorder! At this very moment, in a system far from here, the New Republic _lies_ to the _galaxy_ while secretly supporting the treachery of the loathsome Resistance! This fierce machine, on which you have built, upon which we now stand, will bring an _end_ to that Senate, to their cherished _fleet_! All remaining systems will _bow_ _down_ to the First Order! And they will remember this moment as the _last_ _day_ of the Republic!” For a moment, time seemed to come to a complete halt. A heavy feeling filled Hux’s chest and head, triggering something deep within his very being to burst. Deep within his mind, with no one ever knowing what was in it, a split second of what appeared to be a wicked grin full of very sharp, pearly white fangs flashed and then vanished. “ _FIRE_!”

As everyone facing the stage turned around and blasts of red lights came out of nowhere, an intense reaction, caused by the entire planet trembling and the roar of the deadly beams that melted the nearest snow packs and scaring away any and all winged creatures from the trees, struck Mitaka like a lightning strike. Immediately, his knees buckled somewhat and he had to force his eyes shut tight as the red lights nearly blinded him, a pained growl passing through him. His left hand flew up to the side of his head and he dug his fingers hard against his skull when it felt like his entire head would explode. Next to him, feeling him hunch his body over since he was so close, Captain Phasma looked at Mitaka out of the corner of her eye, concerned with how he was the only one reacting this way.

“Lieutenant, is everything alright?” she asked softly.

Gritting his teeth as he growled louder, Mitaka slowly and carefully opened his eyes, having to keep them squinted since the lights practically burned them. In front of him, Hux didn’t act as if the deafening sounds and blinding red glow were bothering him at all, but Mitaka could feel _something_ from the man. What was this crushing feeling that was spreading all throughout his body?

Nearly thirty seconds later, the beams disappeared from Starkiller and the quaking stopped. Gradually, the crushing weight was dispelled from Mitaka’s body and he was able to open his eyes more. He was breathing fast and hard behind his clenched teeth, his heart beating madly in his chest. He also had a pounding headache from whatever phenomenon had occurred. Calming down just enough to appear normal, Mitaka straightened up and lowered his hand, curling it into a fist unnoticed. He felt his claws dig into his palm.

Swallowing hard, he said blankly, “I am fine, Captain.”

But Mitaka wasn’t fine. In fact, his entire body and mind was trembling in absolute _agony_ …

* * *

So the Republic had been destroyed, not a single rock or fleck of human flesh left behind. Not long after the Starkiller fired those devastating beams and everyone had dispersed, Kylo Ren and several platoons of Stormtroopers left for Takodana, where the piece of map that the First Order had been searching ages for was now located. During the raid on the lush green planet, Mitaka had disappeared from the base structure and couldn’t be found. Hux was too busy speaking to his higher-ups to prepare them for another possible attack to notice that Mitaka wasn’t around.

It was now dark and Kylo Ren returned, having brought back a very interesting prisoner. As the scavenger girl, Rey, was escorted inside to be placed in an interrogation room, the Knight stayed behind and watched silently, even when the Stormtroopers disappeared with her inside. He took a step seconds later, wanting to follow, but he stopped. Lifting his head a little higher, Ren looked to his right, his masked eyes narrowing when he saw something in the darkness, far away near the hangar wall. Blinking, he turned in that direction and headed silently for it.

Sitting unmoving in the cold darkness, Mitaka stared at one spot on the snow-covered ground with his eyes almost completely shut. It had snowed for a bit once it got extremely cold, so his hair and uniform was covered in white flakes. He looked downright exhausted and small hunched there.

“…You’re in pain.”

Mitaka didn’t even so much as flinch from Ren sneaking up on him like that. There was a pause before the Knight walked around in front of him and crouched down. He then quickly reached with both hands for Mitaka’s head, who stiffened out of reflex.

“Don’t-”

Ren didn’t even give him a chance to get away before he gently pressed his fingertips to the Lieutenant’s temples, expelling the Force from his gloves and into Mitaka’s brain. As the archaic energy flowed into every inch of Mitaka’s mind, Ren saw quick flashes of memories of Mitaka’s private time with Hux. He ignored the more intimate ones as he went to the part of the brain where pain receptors were stored. They were pulsating unevenly. The Force flew at them swiftly, but quickly slowed to a crawl milliseconds before they laid over top of them. It enveloped all of them, pressed down hard, and then vanished. Almost immediately, Mitaka’s body felt lighter and mostly pain free.

What felt like minutes was actually only fifteen or so seconds because Ren’s fingers were suddenly gone from Mitaka’s temples. He laid his forearms on his knees, staring at the Lieutenant’s surprised, but impressed face.

“I felt it, too.” Surprised, Mitaka jerked his body up into a more straightened sitting position. Ren was now looking at the ground. “It was like a trigger, in my brain.”

Mitaka blinked a few times at Ren as he trailed off. Seconds later, he dropped his gaze and lowered his eyelids. “Did Hux…feel it too?”

There was a pause. Placing one hand down on the ground, Ren pushed against it to stand up, and then he looked off to the side. “He is far too prideful to show weakness to thousands.” Turning back the way he came, Ren took a step back towards the base entrance. “You should get a good night’s rest, Lieutenant. Because tomorrow, the day will be worse. A _lot_ worse…”

Out of his peripherals, Mitaka watched Ren walk away and out of sight. Exhaling, he looked back at the ground before his booted feet for a while longer, and then headed inside to do exactly what Ren suggested he do. It was about time he returned to his own sleeping quarters, this time without Hux sleeping by his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Update: October 8


	23. Chapter 23

Lieutenant Mitaka had trouble sleeping that night. He couldn’t help but think back to how he reacted when the Starkiller expelled its deadly beams for the first time. If it wasn’t for Ren’s Force ability, he would still be suffering from pricking pain all over his flesh and ear ringing. It was now morning and Mitaka had only finally fallen asleep two hours ago. It was a very deep sleep, at least, but when he awoke, he was still very much exhausted and refusing to open his eyes. As he breathed deeply, a familiar scent filled his nose, making his eyes snap open as he bolted up. Jerking his head around to the right, Mitaka saw Hux asleep in his bed on the other side, the sheets that showed off the contours of his body only reaching his stomach. He was on his side, sleeping peacefully. Mitaka scowled while frowning at him in aggravation. How did the General even get inside his locked room?! _When_ had he come inside without Mitaka knowing about it?

Growling weakly in his chest, Mitaka looked the other way, scooted to the edge of his bed, and then stood up to use the bathroom. Perhaps he could go back to sleep for a bit longer after his bladder was empty. When he was done minutes later, he walked out of the bathroom and only took a few steps back for his bed before slender arms snaked around his belly and pulled him back. Mitaka grunted in surprise before he went limp in the arms.

“Leggo H’x, ’m tired.”

Mitaka grumbled when Hux rubbed his face in the back of his hair. “I missed you last night. You were gone before I could thank you for being on stage with me.”

Mitaka futilely tried to shove Hux’s arms down as the man kissed the back of his head. “’Bout that…” Closing his eyes, Hux kissed Mitaka’s bare shoulder and then the side of his neck. “I dun wanna be on planet next time its used…”

Lifting his head abruptly, Hux blinked slightly wide-eyed at the side of Mitaka’s head. “Why not?”

Sighing, Mitaka got himself turned partway around so that he leaned against Hux. “Just trust me on this, okay?”

Hux knew Mitaka was holding something back, which concerned him, but he soon nodded. “Alright Mitaka, I understand.”

Mitaka smile tiredly before closing his eyes. “Thanks.” There was a pause. Hux continued to hold him without a word. For a few minutes they stayed that way, but then Mitaka opened his eyes, pushed away from Hux a bit, and then kissed him for a few seconds. “We should get ready for work.”

Pushing hair behind Mitaka’s ear, Hux kissed him back. “You go ahead and sleep some more. I will see you in a while, okay?”

They kissed again before separating. Mitaka smiled at him. “See you soon.”

After a quick kiss to Mitaka’s forehead, Hux entered the bathroom to shower. Mitaka stared at the closed door for a few seconds before returning to his bed and falling back to sleep almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Kylo Ren was pacing a corridor back and forth, looking frantic. He had just been to see Rey, to force the map piece out of her since the droid had showed it to her for whatever reason, but the results were far from what he wanted.

 _You’re afraid that you will_ _**never** _ _be as strong as Darth Vader!_

Stopping abruptly, Ren snarled angrily while closing his eyes and hunching forward, his hands gripping his head. “Shut up, shut up, shut UP!”

“Careful, Ren, that you don’t pop a blood vessel.”

Out of reflex, Ren turned while throwing his hand out, stopping abruptly when his palm was centimeters from Hux’s forehead. His ice blue eyes went up to the top of his head as he rolled them in disapproval. Growling, Ren lowered his hand and stood up straight.

“What do you want, mutt?”

Hux scowled at him. “Well that’s really _mature_.” Snorting, Ren turned away. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“That’s none of your business.”

Blinking, Hux looked to the nearest door. It didn’t take long to put two and two together. “Who were you interrogating?”

Ren glared at him. “I don’t have time for this. I have to see the Supreme Ruler.”

Before Hux could protest and fight for answers, Ren stalked off in a tiff, not in the mood for talking to anyone else. Hux stared after him, wondering what his problem was. Well, there was only one way to find out. Going to the door, Hux entered and he met up with a random Stormtrooper carrying a large weapon. They stood at attention when he stopped in front of them.

“Kylo Ren was just here. Who was he interrogating?”

“The scavenger girl, sir. Kylo Ren ordered me to stand guard.”

“And do you know the outcome of that interrogation?”

“Negative, sir. All I know is that whatever method Kylo Ren used was ineffective.”

Hux’s eyes narrowed as he frowned, finding that impossible. How strong was this scavenger anyway?

“Just keep a watchful eye on her,” Hux said.

“Yes sir!”

Turning on his heel, Hux left, heading for Snoke’s chamber. On the way, he met up with Captain Phasma.

“General, I have important news.”

They both stopped to talk.

“Yes, what is it?”

“I happened upon Kylo Ren just a minute ago. He seemed angry. When he saw me, he told me that we need to forget about the droid holding the map piece to Luke Skywalker.”

Hux frowned. “What is that idiot thinking? He cannot make that decision on his own.”

“Well he most certainly did, sir.”

Aggravated, Hux’s hands curled into tight fists. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes, he also said that soon he will have what he needs, but that he needed more time to retrieve it.”

Hux snorted. “Time that we don’t currently have. No doubt he went to Supreme Ruler Snoke about this.”

“What should we do then, sir?”

“You will do nothing. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to convince Snoke to let me use the Starkiller once again before Ren can convince him otherwise.”

Captain Phasma saluted. “Yes, General.”

“You’re dismissed.”

The two went separate ways, Hux briskly walking in the direction of Snoke’s chamber, having no time to go anywhere or talk to anyone else. He was full of ire at Ren’s brash decisions without discussing them with Hux first. The Knight was making the First Order look like amateurs and Hux was sick of it.

As he reached the opening door of Snoke’s chamber, he heard the tail end of Ren’s explanation to Snoke.

“This scavenger… _resisted_ you?”

“She’s strong with the Force! She’s completely untrained, but she has it! She’s stronger than she realizes!”

“I see… And the droid?”

Ren hesitated in nervousness, knowing his decision to forget about the droid had not been the smartest choice to make on his own, but in the end he didn’t even have to answer.

“Your precious Knight decided it was no longer valuable to us.” Jerking his head around, Ren saw Hux coming up behind him. Eyes narrowing, he quickly looked away, growling low in his throat. Damn Hux and his obnoxious timing. The General stopped next to him, not bothering to look at Ren’s unmasked face. “It is safe to say he believes the scavenger is all we need. Clearly he is incapable of keeping a level head when it comes to this girl.”

“Tch!”

Ignoring Ren’s anger rising, Hux continued. “As a result, the droid may already be in our enemies’ hands, which means they very well could have the map.”

“Then the Resistance must be destroyed before they reach Skywalker,” Snoke stated, furious.

For a split second, the corner of Hux’s mouth went up in a smirk. “Luckily we have their location on hand. They are located on a reconnaissance ship in the Ileenium System.”

“Good. Then we will crush them once and for all. Prepare the weapon.”

Ren jerked his head back up at Snoke in bewilderment. “Master, please, I can get the map from the girl! I just need your guidance and more _time_!”

Hux glared hard at Ren. “You are incapable of doing blasted anything, let alone give the First Order more precious time!”

Turning on him suddenly, Ren grabbed a fistful of Hux’s great coat. “Your lack of faith in me is really starting to _piss me OFF_!”

“Well good, because you have just proven my point on how _worthless_ you are to our cause anyway!”

For a moment, red energy sparked up around Ren’s entire body, his fluctuating scent stopping on death, but then it was gone when Snoke yelled, “Kylo Ren!” Gritting his teeth, the Knight’s other arm shook, and then his hand curled into a fist to stop himself from using the Force on Hux and his smug face. After their stare down, Ren unclenched his fingers from the coat, jerked his face away, and then turned to face Snoke again. The disfigured alien looked at Hux, who seemed pleased with himself as he fixed his attire. “General, leave.” Snorting in triumph at Ren before looking away, Hux turned and walked off. “If what you say about the girl is true, Kylo Ren, then bring her to me. Now.”

Ren continued to glare up at Snoke, but then he looked off to the side. “Yes, master.”

Turning all the way around and keeping his gaze to the floor, Ren headed out of the chamber. Immediately, he turned to the left to go back to the interrogation rooms, feeling something potent fill his mind.

“You are just sour because you know I am right about you.”

Stopping in his tracks, Ren looked over his shoulder, glaring at Hux. “Do you honestly think my not wanting to use that blasted weapon of yours again has anything to do with the two of us?” he asked, enraged.

Hux smirked. “Oh I think it has absolutely _everything_ to do with us.”

Ren growled. “Then you are clearly just a stupid mangy _dog_!”

Hux frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Turning around, Ren stalked back to him, towering over him slightly. “Tell me, do you only give a damn about yourself and your stupid pride or is your head shoved so far up your ass that you don’t see what’s _right_ in front of you?!”

“I don’t see what that has to do with-”

“Well then maybe you should ask your _mate_ that very same _question_ ,” Ren growled out.

Hux looked stunned at this. Without waiting for him to speak, Ren turned on his heel and continued on his way, yanking his mask off his belt and putting it back on. Hux watched him go, completely dumbstruck. What did Mitaka have to do with Ren’s repulsion of the Starkiller? Nothing was making any sense.

Sighing, Hux headed off for the control room to prepare his engineers for round two of Starkiller’s deadly destruction.

* * *

Mitaka felt restless, as if his body was trying to get him to understand something, but it couldn’t convey the right signals. It felt as if something was trying to suffocate him. Maybe it was the imminent threat of the Starkiller getting ready to expel its fiery beams again. If Mitaka didn’t want to have the same reaction as yesterday, then he needed to get off the planet very soon.

“Oh, Lieutenant Mitaka!”

Stopping in his tracks in the hallway, Mitaka looked over his shoulder, seeing a familiar face. Turning, he smiled, trying to look normal. “Afternoon, Thanisson. What are you doing here?”

Stopping in front of him, Thanisson smiled. “I received an assignment for later, so I was just walking around to pass the time. What about you? Shouldn’t you be with General Hux right now?”

Mitaka shook his head. “No, he’s busy with the weapon today, so he gave me the day off. I, too, decided to walk around for a bit to clear my head. I have a bit of a headache.”

Thanisson frowned apologetically. “I’m sorry to hear that, sir. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

Mitaka smiled. “Thanks, Thanisson, but I’m alright. I’ll see you around.”

“Alright, sir. Later.”

They parted ways, Mitaka heading for the base entrance to get some fresh air before he went to see Hux about returning to the Finalizer. Not long later, as he breathed through his nose, Mitaka caught a brand new scent, one that smelled an awful lot like hot earth. He took another few steps before stopping, something cutting into the back of his mind. His eyes widened.

Turning to a new corridor, Mitaka ran down it as fast as his human legs could carry him. He ignored anyone looking his way with curious stares as he rushed further into the base. As he was turning a corner a minute or so later, he nearly crashed into someone. With his fast reflexes, he threw himself to the side by sliding around on his boots.

“Kylo Ren, I-!”

Mitaka suddenly yelped in surprise when Ren forced him against the wall. As he looked up at the Knight’s masked face, he didn’t need to see his expression to know Ren was furious.

“Get off the kriffing planet; NOW!” Mitaka was about to ask him why he seemed so upset about this when the floor began to vibrate violently. Since it came out of nowhere, both of them nearly lost their balance. Ren soon growled. “You really picked the wrong bastard to mate with, you know that?!”

Mitaka’s eyes widened and his cheeks turned red at what Ren just blurted out so loudly, especially since soldiers were nearby and glanced at them with odd looks. They were suddenly sent flying through the air after Ren thrust his arm in their direction and Force blasted them away. When Mitaka recovered, he shook his head hard.

“That scavenger girl, I picked up her scent, she-”

“I’ll find her, just leave the damn planet!” Ren snapped.

He was about to head off, but Mitaka quickly got in his way, looking stern.

“As grateful as I am that you have felt remorse towards me ever since you nearly killed me twice, you have been-”

Grabbing his upper arm in a painful grip, Ren threw Mitaka back the way he came with more strength than he had meant to. Mitaka slammed into the floor, his head smashing hard into it.

“I am trying to _save you_ , dammit!” Growling, Mitaka pushed a clawed hand against the floor to get up off his crushed arm, placing a hand to the sore spot on his head. Ren was breathing heavily at him. “I know! I know what it does to you! I felt it! I felt it long after I found you! I won’t let you go through that again! Now get off the FUCKING _PLANET_!”

Sitting up now, Mitaka stared at the floor with narrowed eyes. “…Why do you care so much about an insignificant little cockroach like me…?”

A heavy silence filled the two corridors. A heavy feeling erupted through Ren’s body as he stared bewildered at Mitaka, his teeth gritted tight. After a few seconds, his hands curled into fists a few inches from his body. He then marched over to Mitaka, stopping for a moment before he bent down and dropped to one knee in front of him, giving him an anguished look behind a furrowed brow.

“Because I know what it is like to be you…” The silence returned. On the floor, fingers dragged claws across the surface, leaving behind marks. Reaching over, Ren placed his gloved hand on top of them as the fingers curled into a fist. “Please, get off the planet…”

There was a long pause as Ren stared at Mitaka, trying to make him understand without completely spelling it out for him. Soon, the Lieutenant turned his head to look at Ren, his eyes narrowed slightly.

“Thank you, Ren.” Relief began to wash over Ren when Mitaka added, “But I can’t.”

Disbelief filled Ren’s face. “You-”

Lowering his hand from his head, Mitaka pushed Ren back as he tried to stand. The Knight jerked his gaze up at him as Mitaka stood and hovered over him. “You need me…just as much as Hux needs me.” Before Kylo Ren could say anything or protest, Mitaka moved past him and then began to run again. _‘I can’t leave him, Ren. I need him like I need air.’_

Wanting to get to his destination as quickly as possible, Mitaka took a route where no one would see him, bent his legs as he got to clawed hands and feet, and then let the beast take control. As he ran through the base, Kylo Ren’s voice appeared in his mind, soft and intrigued.

 _Why is he_ _**that** _ _important to you?_

Flying around a corner, Mitaka thought, _‘Because I love him.’_

Eyes flashing, Mitaka ran faster than he ever did before, gathering his strength from the will to be with the only one that truly mattered…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final Update: October 14th
> 
> PS: One more chapter to go, woohoo! Then there will be a break from part 2 until January 15th, 2017


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final chapter, woohoo! Part 2 will start being posted January 15th, 2017 and (potentially) updated once a week
> 
> You can find my fan fic statuses here: https://trello.com/b/vX5SKr7l

No one could have predicted the outcome. No one in the First Order would know what really happened. Soon it would all be gone in a blink of an eye.

The reaper was coming, and he was hungry. Oh so hungry…

* * *

Starkiller Base was in turmoil. Everything was going wrong for the First Order. The Resistance was crippling them, taking their defenses out one by one. The planet was angry, and it was dying. Without the oscillator to keep the core stabilized-

_Please, get off the planet…_

In the control room of the Starkiller, paying attention to what the Resistance air force was unleashing on it through the large observation windows, the words came like a freight train. And, for a moment, Hux’s body and mind froze.

“General, what do we do?!” At the distant shout, Hux jerked out of whatever trance he had fallen into to look at Colonel Datoo in confusion. What was going on? “ _General_!”

Ignoring the heavy feeling in his head and remembering his purpose, Hux said, “Dispatch all of our squadrons.”

Datoo was surprised at Hux’s tone. Why wasn’t he more upset about his precious weapon being attacked? Why did he seem so…calm?

“Y-Yes, General…”

Hux was about to check the status of the charge when the door behind him flew open. He startled when he was yanked back by the arm. As he turned his head, he saw Mitaka staring at him with freaked out eyes.

“We have to get off the planet.”

Hux did a double take. “Then what…did I just-?” Confusion crossed Mitaka’s brow. Closing his eyes, Hux shook his head hard. “Never mind.” He looked back up at Mitaka. “What are you still doing here? I gave you permission to return to the Finalizer hours ago-”

After checking to make sure no one was looking, Mitaka quickly pulled Hux aside, pressing his back into the side of a control panel out of sight. “I can’t explain it, but I feel it!” he said frantically. “It isn’t going to work!”

Hux frowned. “What won’t work?”

The sounds of fire blasts filled the control room as the First Order and the Resistance’s air forces battled. As the sun was being drained of all its power, darkness began to settle upon the planet. Mitaka stared at Hux in disbelief.

“Can’t you feel it _dying_?”

Hux’s eyes widened behind a furrowed brow. Looking out the window, he concentrated hard on what was happening outside. Faintly, at first, something drifted across the sky that wasn’t a TIE Fighter or X-Wing. Then everything seemed to go into slow motion as blasts flew by and hit anything they could reach. As the explosions filled Hux’s vision, something so faint, like a leaf in a tree blowing for just a second, came into focus. As whatever it was changed in size and visibility, a prickling sensation began to form all over his skin. What felt like minutes later, his eyes widened when he finally saw it quite clearly.

_Do you only give a damn about yourself, or is your head shoved so far up your ass that you don’t see what’s_ _**right** _ _in front of you?!_

Hux was dumbstruck. So that’s what Kylo Ren meant! Hux was so focused on his ambitions and his precious weapon that he didn’t see the truth, even though it was right in front of his eyes the entire time. The Starkiller was never going to work! How could he have been so stupid?!

“ _Hux_.”

Jerking his gaze away from the energy of all living things, Hux looked at Mitaka apologetically. Lifting a hand, he dragged his fingers through the side of his hair, pushing it back. “What would I be without you?”

Grabbing his hand, Mitaka pulled it down, looking at him pleadingly. “Dead if we don’t leave.”

Hux nodded. Glad that he understood, Mitaka turned his head to leave the control room with Hux, but the man grabbed his face, turned it back as he leaned over him, and then forced their mouths hard together in a passionate kiss. Mitaka’s eyes widened slightly at the bold move. If they were caught, there would be so many questions. Then again…

“Kriffing dammit do I love you.” Mitaka blushed, a faint smile forming on his face. Chuckling, Hux lowered his hands to Mitaka’s arms and pushed him back. “We have to inform Snoke about this.”

Returning to normal, Mitaka nodded. “Then we have to go now. The oscillator won’t stand another attack.”

Without informing Colonel Datoo or the technicians and engineers of the danger about to unfurl, Hux and Mitaka left the control room at a run, needing at least five minutes to reach Snoke’s chamber. As they ran, the base began to shake violently and the sounds of collapsing walls and ceilings and machinery traveled far and wide, alerting everyone within seconds. Having ran so much already, Mitaka was running slower behind Hux as they rushed towards Snoke’s chamber. They were about to turn the corner down a new corridor when he caught a familiar scent with his nose. Sliding to a stop and then quickly turning back, Mitaka inhaled deeply, getting a stronger whiff of it. Once he was sure of who it was, Mitaka looked back at Hux, who hadn’t noticed.

“Hux! Thanisson is back there! I think he’s in danger!”

Skidding to a stop, Hux twisted his body around to look at him, while throwing his arm out in his direction. “Then go help him! I’ll inform Snoke on my own! Come find me when you’re done!”

Nodding, Mitaka turned and ran back the way they came, fear bubbling up inside of him. Starkiller was about to implode any minute now and he didn’t know if he would make it to Thanisson in time and escape. But he had to try. They barely knew each other, but Thanisson was Mitaka’s friend. He _had_ to save him!

As he reached the entrance of a large meeting room, probably the one for Thanisson’s assignment, Mitaka saw that the doors had collapsed into an X formation with some dents here and there. He had to quickly jump to the left when a large piece of the ceiling came down and would have crushed him had he stayed. Stepping onto some of the rubble to reach the hole at the top from the crossing pieces, he grew out his claws, grabbed a hold of one side, and then yanked down on it as hard as he could. It gradually bent away and then partly broke at the crease. Grabbing the other side, he did the same thing and then grabbed both ends with his hands near the center. In seconds, he was able to pull the doors off of each other, throwing the left one far away. Mitaka then rushed inside, sniffing the air for Thanisson’s scent. Relief washed over him when he smelled it strongest in here. Now all he had to do was help him.

“Thanisson! Thanisson it’s Mitaka! Talk to me, Thanisson!”

Over to one side, Mitaka heard debris crumble and roll and bounce away, so he turned and rushed to a huge pile up of the ceiling and walls of the room. Some of the windows had exploded out, letting the bitter cold and snow in. When Mitaka ran around a collapsed wall separator, he spotted half of Thanisson’s body under large pieces of rubble. He had his upper body lifted as he tried to pull himself free, but he was stuck badly.

“A-Ah, Lieutenant! Please help!”

Rushing to his side, Mitaka looked for a good place to start shoving the rubble away before grabbing pieces with both hands. Thanisson was trying to push a few pieces close enough to him to move with one hand at a time.

“Don’t worry, Th-Thanisson,” Mitaka said as he heaved a large section off with the help of his shoulder and part of his upper back, “we’re gonna get o-out of here, s-safe and sound!”

Placing both hands back on the floor, Thanisson tried to pull his legs out again, but only one was able to budge. He bent it at the knee once he was able to and then tried to roll over. When he saw Mitaka picking things up with relative ease, he was surprised to see sharp claws on his hands.

“L-Lieutenant, your hands-!”

“Never mind that now!” Mitaka shouted as he threw some more pieces off. He then turned and crouched, seeing Thanisson’s one leg mostly out. Going around to his other side, Mitaka faced the large pile and grabbed the leg at the thigh with both hands. “Okay, on two, we’ll start pulling! One, two-”

“AaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

With the help of Mitaka’s werewolf strength, the two officers were able to get Thanisson freed from the rubble. Mitaka quickly helped him to his feet, but the Petty Officer nearly collapsed since he had barely any feeling in them. Without the support of Thanisson’s legs and waist, the rubble began to cave-in in the middle and they quickly had to back away when it came at their feet. Dust and very tiny pieces of steel and hard plastic and other materials rose out like a steam cloud close to them. Mitaka and Thanisson coughed hard as it rained on them, but it settled down.

“Can you run?!” Mitaka asked as they moved away some more.

“I think so!”

They both turned around and were about to rush out of the meeting room when there were a few more explosions all around them. Out of his enhanced peripheral vision, Mitaka saw more of the ceiling begin to collapse and then fall from above them. With fast reflexes, he grabbed Thanisson’s arm with both hands and spun around to throw him far enough away. The Petty Officer cried out in surprise before smashing into the floor. Mitaka, meanwhile, dove out-of-the-way milliseconds before the ceiling came crashing down. The tremor sent him flipping over on his back, his spine slamming into the floor. He yelped in pain as he slid forward. Meanwhile, Thanisson carefully sat up, coughing and groaning in pain. He placed a hand to his head, where he felt warm liquid travel down the side of his face.

“Errng! L-Lieutenant?! Lieutenant Mitaka, are you okay?!”

Hissing in pain, Mitaka began to roll himself over, hearing and feeling his back crack loudly. Once on his stomach, he lifted his head to see Thanisson forcing himself to his feet, swaying. “Thanisson, I’m fine! Wh-What about you?!”

Holding his hand to his bleeding head, Thanisson stumbled around the debris to try getting to Mitaka. “My head’s bleeding some, but I’m alright!”

Lowering his gaze back on the floor, Mitaka began to push his upper body off the floor, groaning and growling at the same time. Out of nowhere, a new scent entered his nose as he breathed and he jerked his head up. Mitaka’s eyes widened when he saw someone move unnoticed behind Thanisson, almost gliding like a ghost-

“Than-!” Mitaka was seconds too late. A terrible numbness filled his entire body when he saw Dr. Ekels grab just the right place of Thanisson’s neck with both hands and then twist his head around quickly with a sickening snap. Tears welled up in Mitaka’s eyes when Dr. Ekels uncaringly threw the now dead Thanisson to the floor. “ThanisSOOOOOOOOOOOON!” Throwing himself to his feet in both anger, shock, and anguish, Mitaka charged at Ekels, getting a clawed hand ready. “You bast _AAAARD_!”

Stepping over Thanisson’s dead body, Ekels reached for a rubble pile, grabbed a thick lead pipe sticking out, and yanked it free. Eyes flashing dangerously, Mitaka threw himself towards the man, throwing his arm out to attack him. Since he was half out of his mind from witnessing such cruelty from a person who had pledged to heal the sick and dying, Ekels dodged to the side, grabbed the pipe with both hands, and then smashed it hard into the back of Mitaka’s head. He snarled in pain and anger as he fell, crashing on his stomach a few feet from Thanisson. Placing his hands on the floor, he tried to get back up, his body shaking. He was about to get on one foot when he felt Dr. Ekels step up behind him. For a split second, Mitaka knew what was about to happen, but he wasn’t _quite_ fast enough to stop it.

Mitaka didn’t even get the chance to howl in rage before the heavy, hard object was slammed onto the back of his head, knocking him out into unknowing darkness…

* * *

As fast as his long legs could carry him, Hux ran for Snoke’s chamber, having to weave in and out of falling debris. Most of the corridors were deserted now, so no one would see him utilizing his werewolf abilities to get to the alien hologram in time. As he reached an area that was three-fourths away from the chamber, there was a large pile up that spanned the hall from side-to-side, blocking his path. There was enough room at the top to climb up and jump over to the other side. Getting his bearings down as he got closer to it, Hux bent his knees and then leaped up as high as he could towards the fallen ceiling. He grabbed onto some concrete with his now clawed hands and then used his claws to help him get to the top quickly. Once there, he didn’t bother looking before he jumped off, hearing loose pieces falling. At the last possible second, he rolled his body to break his fall. He growled in pain at having his back slam into the debris-covered floor, but he scrambled onto his feet and began to run again.

Reaching the large area that led to Snoke’s chamber half a minute later, Hux saw that the twisting doors were partway open and busted—they were still able to open all the way as he reached them. As he ran down the walkway, a loud, startling sound filled part of the room in a corner to Hux’s left, making him fold his arms over his head out of reflex and nearly trip.

“Supreme Ruler!” When he recovered, Hux ran up to the stone chair that Snoke always sat in, panting heavily. The hologram was flickering in and out inconsistently. “The fuel cells have ruptured! The planet is destroying itself no thanks to the Resistance!”

Snoke didn’t seem concerned at this news despite the chamber falling apart around them. “That is of no concern to us now. However, Kylo Ren is still out there, fighting off the scavenger. I sense that he is in terrible danger.”

Despite what he had said about Kylo Ren earlier that morning, Hux said, “He’ll be fine! He’s not entirely helpless-!”

“NO! You will go out and find Kylo Ren like you have been ordered to!” Snoke growled. “He _must_ finish his training! NOW _GO_ _FIND HIM_!”

Hux had to quickly lower his head and slam his hands over his ears when he thought his ear drums would blow out. “Kriffin’ _shit_ …”

“Find Kylo Ren or I will destroy you, General, the werewolf gene be _damned_!”

As Hux turned to the left, he lowered one hand, the other staying up near his face as he looked up at Snoke with a growl. “Y-Yes, Supreme Ruler, I will _kriffin’_ find him.”

Turning on his heel, Hux began to run from the chamber as fast as he could. Too preoccupied with what he had to plan to do, he forgot all about Mitaka going back for Thanisson and instead put his full focus on locating Ren and saving his stupid ass. And he knew just the transport ship to get him there.

It took a few minutes to run to the hangar bay and locate the right ship. It required at least three people to work it, but with his enhanced speed and reflexes, Hux could pilot it on his own. He accessed the door to unlock with his datapad, rushed inside, and stepped up to a console with three separate screens and keyboards. With flying fast fingers, Hux typed away at the center keyboard to get the engine started. All the lights flared on, nearly blinding him with his enhanced eyes, but he ignored his own pains so that he could get this bullshit mission over with. Damn Snoke and his persistent infatuation with Kylo Ren.

For the next several, fast seconds, Hux switched from keyboard to keyboard in order to pilot the ship on his own. By now the ship was rising up towards the hangar ceiling, which automatically opened when the sensor picked up the energy readout of the ship. As he waited for the ship to be outside in the open air, Hux moved to the left controls, pulled a card of some kind from his pocket, and then inserted it into a slot of the control panel. He then typed on the keyboard for a few seconds and a radar with a pulsating blip appeared on the screen. Hux looked at it and saw a rectangle next to the blip with the name “Kylo Ren” on it and how far away his signal was. Looking back at the keyboard, Hux typed in even more commands that would put a lock on Ren’s location.

The ship was high enough in the air now, so Hux moved to the center console, typed something to make the landing gear disappear into the underside of the ship, and then made it take off. Now all he had to do was watch the distance get shorter and shorter on the radar screen, watch until it reached at least forty-five meters before deploying the landing gear, and then touch down when he was twenty meters from Ren’s location.

A few minutes passed and the time before Starkiller completely destroyed itself was nearing ever closer. Hux couldn’t relax until he had Kylo Ren on the ship and they took off for the Finalizer. During the wait, he kept looking at the radar screen, feeling impatient. He was just _really_ stressing out about this. The worst feeling he had, however, was knowing that his ultimate weapon had been a failure from the start and soon would no longer exist, and that everything he had worked so hard for would go back to square one. Rebuilding the device would be a risk Snoke wouldn’t willingly take. The First Order, however many people were left in it by the end, would have to formulate an entirely new plan from scratch, something Hux wasn’t looking forward to.

By fifty meters, the ship was nearing a slightly dense clearing. If it wasn’t for Hux’s amazing eyesight, he wouldn’t be able to see much, even with the bright lights at the front and sides of the ship. It was simple to see the dark trees and the thick snow out the windshield, even with the covered screens. Going back to the middle keyboard, Hux deployed the landing gear after he put in the command for the ship to start descending.

As soon as the ship landed in the clearing a minute and a half later, Hux ran towards the door, slammed his hand onto the disengage button to open it, and then rushed out, leaving it open. He ignored the bitter cold, the flurry of snow falling down on him, and the trembling ground to sniff the air deeply and fast. In the distance, he heard the sounds of another ship taking off, but he didn’t give a damn about it. His only mission was to find Kylo Ren and bring him back to Snoke. Once he got a lock on Ren’s fluctuating scent that was weakened, Hux took off, his body changing slightly to allow him to sprint on all fours like a feral. It actually still surprised him at how much faster he could travel like this. He hated how possibly stupid and weird it looked though.

As Hux ran through the dense forest, a strange feeling began to fill him, as if this place was well known to him. But nothing looked familiar at all, so he figured that maybe he had been here on transformation nights, the times before Ren had unlocked his and Mitaka’s minds from the beasts’ hold. Reaching two trees that were leaning away from each other, Hux got back on his feet and jumped through the gap they created, using his right hand to push off before he ran some more.

“Kylo Ren!” he yelled as loud as possible. He looked this way and that for signs of him. Ren’s scent was getting stronger, but there was also a tangy, metallic taste in the air. It didn’t take long for Hux to know it was blood and he began to panic. “Shit! Kylo Ren! …KYLO REN! …You goddamn piece of _shit_!”

“Harrk! H-Hux…?”

Digging his boots into the snow, Hux stopped and then spun around, seeing a dark mass a few feet away. He sniffed the air to be sure, but it was Kylo Ren, and he was on the ground on his back. Cursing, Hux ran to him, slowing down a bit once he was near Ren’s foot. Reaching his side, Hux got down on his knees, looking at Ren’s face. He gritted his teeth when he saw the deep, bloody gash on his right side.

“Dammit, Ren, why did you have to be so goddamn _reckless_ at a time like this?!”

Ren’s body tightened in pain. “N-Never mind that n-now,” he breathed out. “Starkiller, it’s…it’s _dying_ …”

Hux was staring sternly at him. “It’s about to self-destruct itself is what it is.” Hux began to stand, saying, “We have to get out of here. Can you get up?”

Ren tried to get his body to move, but it was heavy and laden with pain. “N-No…”

Hux didn’t even know why he asked because the weakened scent of Kylo Ren was all the proof he needed. So reaching down, he grabbed the Knight’s arm with one hand while the other grabbed his ribs on the other side, and began to pull him up. Turning his body, he was able to hoist Ren off the ground, ignoring the Knight’s muffled snarl of pain as Hux got him over his shoulder and on his back.

“Get your other arm around my shoulders.” With difficulty, Ren lifted his limp arm, only managing to lift it high enough to place his hand on the General’s shoulder. Panting, his lungs searing because of the cold, Hux got Ren situated the rest of the way, hunching forward to make sure he didn’t fall off. He growled from strain as he took a step towards the direction of his ship. “Kriff, you can stand to lose some pounds, Ren.”

Feeling very weak because of his injuries, Ren’s head rolled into Hux’s neck from fatigue. “A-Are you…c-calling me f-fat…?”

“No, but you need to stop wearing so many heavy layers, you kriffing imbecile.”

“I-It’s freezing, Hux…”

As they started on their way back for the ship, Hux waited until the added weight was a little more bearable before trying to run back for it. This would be _so_ much easier if he was the beast right now, he thought with contempt.

“S-So much power and _this_ is what I’m r-reduced to…”

“Funny,” Ren said softly from weakness, “I-I was thinking the s-same thing…”

Now that he was getting even more used to Ren’s pressing weight, Hux was able to start running a little faster. He was regretting not bringing the ship nearly on top of the Knight’s location instead.

“…Damn my enhanced senses of kriffing _everything_ ,” Hux growled. “Stop bleeding on me!”

They traveled for nearly a minute by now and the planet was gradually tearing itself apart around them, shooting lava into the air. Up ahead and a little to the side, Hux caught a glimpse of his ship from them. Changing course a bit, he hoisted Ren higher since he began to slip, and then crossed his arms around his chest to help him hold on.

“H-Hux there’s…not much time l-left-”

“I kriffing know that!”

“…What…’s wrong with your…v-voice?”

They were almost to the ship when Hux’s eyes flashed and he forced himself onto his hands and boots to pick up great speed in milliseconds. As they reached the open hatch that was covered in snow from the gusting winds blowing it in, Hux threw themselves inside, sliding across the floor and spinning partway around. The hatch began to close on its own and the loud exploding and crashing noises of the destructing planet outside diminished before going out. Feeling super irritated over his senses giving him so much grief, Hux snatched Ren’s arms with his clawed hands and yanked them away from his chest. The Knight yelled in pain as the claws dug into his skin, drawing blood.

“G-Get off me!”

Hux elbowed Ren in the side where he had been injured, making him yelp in pain.

“Wh-What is…w- _wrong_ with you…?!” As Ren snapped his eyes open to look at the General, he saw something very off about him. “H-Hux, what-?”

“Harrrrrrrrrrr…!”

Hux was hunched over on bent legs, his clawed hands digging through his hair and leaving streaks behind. Protruding out of his mouth were werewolf fangs that dripped heavy with saliva. His eyes, which the pupils were nearly slits, looked as if they would pop out of his head. Ren was shocked over this, confused on what was happening to the General. Yes he knew what he looked like as a werewolf, but it wasn’t time for that yet, so what was this change?

“Hux snap _o-out_ of it!”

“H-H-eat…”

“What?!”

Eyes flashing again, Hux threw his hands down on the floor, created streaks in it because of his claws as they struck, and then jerked his head up, baring his full teeth and fangs at Ren. Before the Knight could do anything, Hux threw himself on top of him, lifted one clawed hand in the air, and went to strike him in the face, but he came to an abrupt stop. He stared down at Ren with wild, trembling eyes, a loud, menacing growl coming out of his mouth. When he saw the terrible gash on Ren’s face, Hux slowly lowered his hand and arm back down, brought his teeth and fangs together while keeping his lips parted, and then growled in bursts a few times as he stared at the drying blood.

Ren’s eyes widened when Hux began to lower his head towards the wound, his tongue slipping out from between his teeth. The Knight had to slam his eyes shut before the tip touched the bottom of his pained cheek and then Hux gave him a big lick, right along the gash. Gritting his teeth, Ren hissed in pain as the saliva began to sting his wound badly.

As Hux was finishing the first lick over Ren’s closed eye, which tightened more when Ren flinched, there was a loud and violently rocking explosion close to the ship, forcing one side to fly up and send them rolling. Hux yelped in surprise as he was completely flipped over, crashing hard onto his back and sliding.

“G-Get us out of here, H-Hux!”

With Ren’s blood going down his throat and the distraction from the ship almost flipping upside down, Hux immediately snapped out of his heat trance and could remember what he was supposed to be doing. Pushing up and scrambling frantically to his feet, he rushed to the control panels, typed faster than he had ever been able to before, and then slammed his hand on the button that let the ship take off into the air. As he saw outside the windshield, he could see lava and rocks and trees and some snow leftover bursting out of the planet. His eyes widened, thinking they wouldn’t make it.

“FUCKING HYPER DRIVE IT!”

Jerking out of his shock at Kylo Ren’s yell, Hux typed more in and then slammed the button again. He didn’t even get the chance to detract the landing gear before the rising ship skyrocketed before disappearing. At the very last possible second, the ship shook violently when the entire planet destroyed itself. Hux ended up being flung back from the very harsh force, crashing and sliding backwards on the floor a few feet. Kylo Ren ended up getting the worst of it, having rolled backwards violently and crashing into the base of the control panels. His entire body collapsed from the hard hit.

With how small this aircraft was, the hyper drive didn’t last more than ten seconds. It soon slowed to a normal speed and everything had calmed down. Groaning in pain after hitting his head on the floor, Hux carefully sat up, placing a hand to the bump.

“R-Ren?” In front of the control panels, Kylo Ren stirred at the voice and he growled in pain that was spread throughout his entire body. Seeing him having trouble moving due to his injuries, Hux crawled forward once before carefully getting to his feet. He then moved towards the screens, laid his hands on the keyboard, and typed in some commands to make the ship brake but hover in place. Deciding not to worry about locking on to the Finalizer yet, Hux walked around the control panels and fell to his knees in exhaustion by Ren’s chest. With both hands, he rolled the Knight over, sat him up against the control panel, and checked him over. “Are you alright…?”

Lifting a shaking hand to his face, Ren carefully touched the lightsaber wound, feeling it both sticky and wet from blood and saliva. A look of disgust appeared on his face and Hux had to quickly slam his hands hard to his ears when the Knight nearly screamed, “IF YOU _EVER_ LICK ME LIKE THAT AGAIN, I SWEAR TO SNOKE I WILL BEAT YOU WITH A KRIFFIN’ STICK AND THEN MAKE YOU GO AND _FETCH_ _IT_!” Out of reflex from having his ear drums nearly blow out for the second time that day, Hux socked Ren hard in the face, knocking him back down. “Shit Hux!”

“You’re bloody kriffing welcome!” Hux spat as he stood up. Going around to the keyboards, he set a course for the Finalizer after locking onto it with the radar and then picked up to the maximum speed that wasn’t hyper drive. Once they were going, he checked the radar to see how far away they were from the colossal ship. “We’ll arrive to the Finalizer in two hours.”

Having sat back up, albeit with difficulty, Ren rubbed his bruising cheek with his gloved hand. “We…w-wouldn’t have…gone so far had you not…gone _psycho_ on me. What was that, anyway?”

Going to the back of the ship, Hux found a first-aid kit after looking through the storage units on the walls for a bit and returned to Ren, who now had his hand on his side where Chewbaca had blasted him earlier. Getting to one knee, Hux opened the large box and found basic doctor supplies and then some. He grabbed scissors, cleanser, gauze, and tape, set everything but the scissors down, and carefully cut away Ren’s clothing where his injuries were. He knew their exact location thanks to his heightened sense of smell.

“The stress of everything going on made me go into heat.”

Ren blinked at him a few times. “Heat? As in-?”

Hux snorted. “You should be grateful I didn’t try to hump you instead.”

“I wasn’t thinking about that in particular, but thanks for that visual.”

Once Hux could see the injuries more closely, it wouldn’t take a doctor to tell him how bad they were. Lightsaber and blaster bolt wounds were not something to be taken lightly. “It looks like your recovery time will be slow going. Reckless moron.”

Ren leaned back in exhaustion and pain as Hux finished dealing with his injuries. He would have better care once they returned to the Finalizer’s hospital wing. The Knight was staring at him with almost closed eyes.

“How did you even know to find me?” he asked after a while. Hux started putting his supplies away. “ _How_ did you find me?”

Grabbing the box handle, Hux stood up with it, staring down at Ren. “Snoke told me to. And it was a good thing too, otherwise you would be _nothing_ right now.”

Ren glared at Hux as the General went back to the back of the ship to put away the first-aid kit. It didn’t take him long to just let it go. “When you meant heat, you meant that craze mode that animals go into, right?”

Hux went back to the radar screen as he said, “Yes. It can be caused by too much stress, which is what triggered it earlier, when a werewolf wants to mate with another, or when a drastic change occurs.” Hux changed panels to make sure everything was working fine. “I lose most of my sense of self in heat, hence why I nearly shredded your face open. Luckily I saw you already bleeding, so I was able to stop myself in time.” After slowing the aircraft down to eight hundred knots, Hux set it on autopilot of their destination, then walked back around the panels. He sat down in front of Ren, placing his face in his hands. “Going into heat nearly cost us our lives…”

Ren blinked at him. “…How do you get out of it?” Hux lowered his hands and worked his shoulders. “With Mitaka?”

“…Yes.”

Ren looked off to the side. “I’m sure he made it out just fine.”

Hux rubbed the back of his neck on the left side with his left hand fingers. “His presence just feels so far away…”

Kylo Ren understood that. He, too, felt like something was so far out of his reach, but he didn’t know what it was. All he could think of was his late father, Han Solo, being the trigger. His face stung terribly at just the thought of him.

“I know…”

They continued on their way back to the Finalizer without another word, both of them wondering what their lives would become before they tried to end the Republic and the Resistance once again…

**To Be Continued…**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can read a Q&A of book 1 here: http://hitaka5ever.tumblr.com/post/156064778317/


	25. Star Wars: The Beast Awakens Q&A

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here are some questions and answers about book 1, like a recap before you start reading book 2

**Main Questions:**

**Q: What is your werewolf au about?**  
A: It’s about Lieutenant Mitaka secretly living a life as a werewolf (before, during, and after The Force Awakens) until he accidentally turns Hux on a transformation night, which sets off a chain reaction of good and downright evil events. After the 3 main books, there will be a prequel of Mitaka's childhood as a werewolf and a sequel that's about 7 years after the end of book 3

 **Q: How long has Mitaka been a werewolf?**  
A: Mitaka was turned during the daytime at age seven during the fall. I headcanon him to be 27 and older, so he has been one for 20+ years

 **Q: How are people turned into werewolves?  
** A: Humans or aliens must be bitten by a werewolf or drink the blood of one (or Werebeasts in general) to become one. Saliva and blood carries the Werebeast gene and, once bitten, is carried through the bloodstream and infused into a person’s DNA

 **Q: Since lore states that transformations only happen on the full moon, how do transformation nights work if they live in space? (asked by @ hoppspindel of Tumblr)**  
A: Transformation nights vary depending on when a werewolf is bitten by their creator, no matter the time of day. The werewolf doesn’t have to be transformed to turn someone either, so long as they have bitten someone, anyone can become a werewolf 

 **Q: Has Mitaka turned anyone else into a werewolf, or just Hux?  
** A: Just Hux. Mitaka, during the Academy and while serving the First Order, was given special privileges to ensure that he wouldn’t meet anyone on transformation nights. Due to Mitaka knowing how excruciatingly painful becoming a werewolf is, he would never turn anyone on purpose

 **Q: If that’s the case, why did Mitaka bite Hux?  
** A: It was an accident. Every transformation night, the First Order has a special curfew time where they are not allowed out of their rooms on the Finalizer. Hux broke curfew by taking a stroll during the middle of the night due to his (headcanon) insomnia

 **Q: How was it an accident though?  
** A: Werewolves become primitive on transformation nights. The werewolf brain and human brain cannot connect with each other, therefore “the beast” is not aware of the human existing. Basically speaking, Mitaka attacked and bit Hux out of pure instinct, therefore he had no idea what had conspired until the next morning

 **Q: Who all knows about Mitaka being a werewolf? Does everyone find out Hux is one too?**  
A: Quite a few people know, which includes Mitaka’s mother and older siblings, the shaman of Mitaka’s home world, Planet Tetra, that raised him and taught him about werewolves, some administration members of the Academy (the ones that gave him the special privileges) Snoke, Mitaka’s physician Dr. Ekels, Hux, and Kylo Ren. Only Dr. Ekels, Snoke, and Kylo Ren know that Hux is a werewolf

 **Q: Who the heck is Dr. Ekels?**  
A: Dr. Ekels is both Mitaka and Hux’s primary physician. He has been Mitaka’s doctor since Mitaka joined the First Order on the Finalizer and then became Hux’s the morning after he was bitten

 **Q: It’s obvious how Snoke knows about Mitaka being a werewolf, but what about Kylo Ren? How did he find out?**  
A: Ren found out during Hux’s 4th transformation night after he felt a disturbance in the Force. He went to investigate, not knowing what he would find until it was too late

 **Q: What happened once he found the two werewolves?**  
A: Due to instinct, Hux sensed Ren was a threat, so he attacked him unprovoked. Ren wondered if Snoke was testing him, so he fought back in order to kill them, which he almost succeeded in doing (See [Chapter 19](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F6726715%2Fchapters%2F18476800&t=ODVkMzRhNzAxOGNkMWY3NzRjMmU1YjQ4NjVmNWE0ZjA2NGY3N2QwMCxPNXhpSXhEUA%3D%3D&b=t%3ACvJYEnkVQlZ7P6t5g3wI3Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fhitaka5ever.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F156064778317%2Fswtfa-werewolf-au-book-1-qa-star-wars-the-beast&m=1) and [Chapter 20](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F6726715%2Fchapters%2F18566596&t=NWMyZjlkZmI4OGZjOTFiY2M4NzI2MjMyYTU2YzcxNGEyZjI5M2JhNSxPNXhpSXhEUA%3D%3D&b=t%3ACvJYEnkVQlZ7P6t5g3wI3Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fhitaka5ever.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F156064778317%2Fswtfa-werewolf-au-book-1-qa-star-wars-the-beast&m=1))

 **Q: How did all of this tie in with Star Wars: The Force Awakens?  
** A: The story takes place before, during, and after the film, though mostly before. I had to change some events and timeline of the film to include the transformation nights during the film’s timeline. Not all scenes from the movie made it into the story, just important ones, like Ren finding out about Rey during the Force-choke scene (See [Chapter 17](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F6726715%2Fchapters%2F18255922&t=NGJiZmJiODkxZWRiMjJkZGQ5YjM0MDczOWMyZDIwNzNlZWIzNTcxZixPNXhpSXhEUA%3D%3D&b=t%3ACvJYEnkVQlZ7P6t5g3wI3Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fhitaka5ever.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F156064778317%2Fswtfa-werewolf-au-book-1-qa-star-wars-the-beast&m=1)) the two instances where both Hux and Ren spoke to Snoke about the Resistance and the Starkiller weapon, the firing of Starkiller on the Hosnian System, and the destruction of Starkiller

**Secondary Questions:**

**Q: What are the different warnings for this fic?**  
A: Warnings include graphic violence, gore, gay smut, mating, and death

 **Q: Who all dies in this book?**  
A: The only detailed death was Petty Officer Thanisson, who was killed by Dr. Ekels while Thanisson and Mitaka tried to escape Starkiller together

 **Q: Wait what?! What kind of doctor kills people?!**  
A: Dr. Ekels didn’t only kill Thanisson, but he made about half of his patients suffer by his hands because Ekels is a sadist (See mid-[Chapter 15](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=http%3A%2F%2Farchiveofourown.org%2Fworks%2F6726715%2Fchapters%2F18255922&t=NGJiZmJiODkxZWRiMjJkZGQ5YjM0MDczOWMyZDIwNzNlZWIzNTcxZixPNXhpSXhEUA%3D%3D&b=t%3ACvJYEnkVQlZ7P6t5g3wI3Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fhitaka5ever.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F156064778317%2Fswtfa-werewolf-au-book-1-qa-star-wars-the-beast&m=1))

 **Q: What happened to Mitaka when Starkiller exploded?**  
A: After killing Thanisson to put Mitaka in a state of shock, Ekels used ceiling rubble to knock Mitaka out cold. What he did to Mitaka after that is unknown

 **Q: I hate Dr. Ekels! Good lord, what a terrible person**  
A: Not a question, but yes, he definitely is

 **Q: When is book 2 coming out? Do you have a title and summary for it yet?  
** A: It’s already out and was first posted on 11-30-2016. Its titled Star Wars: The Galaxy is Counting Stars, which was inspired by the song [Counting Stars](http://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DoPrnrEnS45Q&t=ZWNiNThkZjlhMzc4MmJkNDAxN2E3YmRlOWU1ZGRmZGY3MzliY2QzNixPNXhpSXhEUA%3D%3D&b=t%3ACvJYEnkVQlZ7P6t5g3wI3Q&p=http%3A%2F%2Fhitaka5ever.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F156064778317%2Fswtfa-werewolf-au-book-1-qa-star-wars-the-beast&m=1) by Sugarcult

 **Q: When do you update?**  
A: Once a week for the most part. May change in the future though; depends if writer’s block gets in the way

 **Q: Will there be a Q &A for book 2?**  
A: Yes, but I won’t be posting them until after book 2 is fully online for spoiler purposes. There will also be one for book 3 and maybe book 4 and 5

**Trivia:**

  * In [chapter 13](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6726715/chapters/17453542), Mitaka brings up the assembly and holovid of Hux having a few First Order members thrown out into deep space after they nearly killed one of their own to Thanisson during dinner. The person that had been attacked and nearly killed was, in fact, Thanisson, hence Mitaka's observation here:  **Thanisson smiled sheepishly, although it was very faint. Of course, for Mitaka, he could see it quite clearly. He also sensed that maybe Thanisson wasn’t very fond of the memory.**
  * Dr. Ekels name came to me out of nowhere, but someone pointed out to me that Ekel is German for "disgust/loathing (if it's "der"), resp. creep/repulsive person (if it's "das")". So his name is very ironic if you think about it lol
  * (Foreshadowing; was revealed in Chapter 22) The odd feeling werewolf-form Hux felt when standing on the concrete platform set in the Starkiller mountain tied in with his powerful speech before Starkiller was fired for the first time
  * (Foreshadowing) The split second mind imagery during Hux's speech (a wicked toothed grin; near the end of [Chapter 22](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6726715/chapters/18704347)) will tie in with a future chapter of book 3
  * While Hux and Mitaka get along great in the main trilogy, in the prequel story, they really despised one another after Hux tried to defend Mitaka when he was being bullied, but Mitaka didn't appreciate it because it just made the bullying worse. Even when Mitaka first arrived on the Finalizer, he bantered with Hux a bit when they met up again after so many years of avoiding each other. It wasn't until after Hux killed the men that tried to kill Thanisson that Mitaka changed his mind about Hux, and he even apologized for being a jerk to Hux in their teenhood
  * My original design idea for Mitaka's werewolf form included a silvery-grey back marking, but I couldn't come up with a good shape for it



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final update: Need to finish a written version of a "movie" trailer, so coming soon-ish


End file.
